Dr.Ahmed A. Khalifa, Department of Orthopedic, Qena Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, South Valley University, Qena, Egypt. E-mail: ahmed_adel0391@med.svu.edu.eg
Introduction: Hardware removal after orthopedic or fracture fixation surgeries, including locking plates and screws removal after fracture union, is a common practice; however, sometimes it is not as straightforward a procedure as it looks.
Case Report: We present a case of a male patient, 36 years old, who had a right tibial plateau fracture 2 years back, which was treated by open reduction and internal fixation using a locking 3.5 mm lateral proximal tibial plate. During hardware removal, we encountered an unusual complication: A breakage of the screwdriver tip.
Results: The screws were successfully removed after using a new screwdriver with no further complications.
Conclusion: Various unexpected circumstances might occur, such as damage or breakage of the screws heads or screwdriver tip, which hinders the complete removal of the hardware. The surgeon should be prepared with the proper tools to handle potential unusual situations.
Keywords: Hardware removal, Locking plates, Screws, Case report, Breakage.
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