Open AccessMultiply Broken Metallic Hardware Removal for United Patella Fracture Applied Twenty Years Before: A Case Report
Author(s) -
K.C. Kapil Mani,
Parimal Acharya,
Bandhu Ram Pangeni,
Ankit Niroula,
Amuda Kc
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of nepal medical association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.176
H-Index - 19
eISSN - 1815-672X
pISSN - 0028-2715
DOI - 10.31729/jnma.5625
Subject(s) - medicine , neurovascular bundle , surgery , tension band wiring , patella fracture , fixation (population genetics) , fracture (geology) , patella , composite material , population , materials science , environmental health , elbow , olecranon
Breakage of tension band wires, used to treat the patella fracture, is not uncommon several years after the fracture fixation. Broken wires may migrate to surrounding neurovascular structures, other vital organs like heart and may cause potentially fatal complications. Once the wires have been broken, it is very difficult to remove the broken pieces of metal wires. We report a 50 years old male patient with broken tension band wires at multiple sites for patella fracture. The broken wires were removed 20 years after the initial surgery without any undue complications, however patient sustained significant soft tissue damage to remove all the pieces of broken wires that would otherwise have been removed without any undue complications immediately after fracture union.