VanderWilde R S, Lewallen D G, Papagelopoulos P J
Department of Orthopedics, Mayo Graduate School of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota.
Orthop Rev. 1992 Sep;21(9):1121-2.
Existing techniques for removing broken distal interlocking screws can involve trephine over-cutting of the screws, which requires bone exposure and creates larger stress risers by enlarging the original screw hole. We present a technique for removal of these screws that takes advantage of both the design of interlocking screws and the bone quality in the area of their placement. In this technique, a guide-wire "punch" is used to drive the screws through the medial cortex and soft tissue for removal through a small medial incision.
