Removing a Bent Femoral Intramedullary Nail Cost Effectively: A Case Report

A bent intramedullary (IM) nail becomes challenging and technically demanding to the orthopaedic surgeon for nail extraction. A broken nail can be easily removed through the fracture site. However, a bent nail has to be broken before it can be removed. Several studies and case reports outline the strategies and techniques for removing a bent IM nail. However, there is a paucity of guidelines and standard protocol describing the best and inexpensive strategy. We report a case where two years following surgery for intramedullary nailing of the right femur, the IM mail was bent following secondary trauma. We used a technique based on the principles of an ability to fully cut the nail and extract it in two pieces by using a Jumbo cutter which is available in the orthopaedic armamentarium. This technique is simple yet economical, with the likelihood of causing less soft tissue damage and thermal necrosis.