Implanted metal can help broken bones heal properly. While these implants do not help the bone heal faster, they can help to hold bones in the proper position while healing takes place.
a) Metal plates and screws
b) Pins
c) Intramedullary Rods and screws
In some patients, metal implants can cause irritation to surrounding tissues. This may cause bursitis, tendonitis, or local irritation. In these cases, removal of the metal may relieve this irritation.
It can be very difficult to predict if removal of metal implants will improve symptoms of discomfort. In patients who have pain that is clearly coming from irritation caused by the metal, the chance of pain reduction is much more likely. If the pain is more generalized, and not clearly an irritation, the chance of pain resolution with metal removal is more difficult to predict.
There are potential complications of surgery to remove metal implants. The most common problem is metal removal can be quite difficult, especially with deep implants that have been in place a long time. We at Subang Ortho Clinic help our patients to remove implanted plates.