Implants can be used for a variety of surgical procedures. An orthopedic surgeon may use implants to reconstruct a damaged joint, repair a bone fracture, or change your body’s skeletal alignment.
Intramedullary rods, pins, and other implants do not help bones to heal faster. They do help to hold things in place while the body heals, and they are typically meant to stay in the body forever. There are cases, though, when removing metal plates and screws, or other implants, may be necessary.
This article looks at the reasons for why it may be appropriate to remove these implants. It describes some symptoms that may point toward doing so, as well as possible benefits and risks of implant removal.
Verywell / Laura Porter
Reasons for Implant Removal
In most cases, implants can stay in your body without any harm. Their removal should never be considered a part of “routine” care. However, there are exceptions. They tend to emerge in a specific context, such as ankle surgery, or because of pain, irritation, or infection.
Syndesmotic Screws
Some healthcare providers will recommend the removal ofsyndesmoticscrews used forhigh ankle sprains. They intend for this to be done before a person is allowed to bear weight on the affected ankle.That said, most studies have found no difference in outcomes when they compare people whose screws were taken out and those with screws that remained in place.
Infection
Infection is a medical indication for implant removal. It is often hard to treat an infection that is in or on a non-organic surface. That’s the case with materials like metal, ceramic, or plastic. For this reason, removing the implant may offer the best chance to resolve an infection.
Metal Irritation
Some people experience pain or pressure at the site where an implant was inserted. This may be one of the signs ofmetal irritation, and it too can lead to having implants removed. Your healthcare provider would need to confirm if the screws are causing the problem or if there is another cause.
While these don’t always mean that there’s a problem, some signs of metal irritation are:
RecapThere are reasons for why you and your healthcare provider might consider removing an implant. Screws, rods, or other implants used during orthopedic surgery can cause infection. People who have implants also may report pain and irritation at the site where the implants were placed. It’s possible, and may even be necessary, to have another surgery to remove them. But it doesn’t always work, and your surgeon can help you to decide if implant removal is the best option.
Recap
There are reasons for why you and your healthcare provider might consider removing an implant. Screws, rods, or other implants used during orthopedic surgery can cause infection. People who have implants also may report pain and irritation at the site where the implants were placed. It’s possible, and may even be necessary, to have another surgery to remove them. But it doesn’t always work, and your surgeon can help you to decide if implant removal is the best option.
Removing Metal Implants
The actual process of removing an implant is itself complex. This is especially true of deep implants that have been in place for a long time. Fractures have been known to occur soon after surgical removal. This is because the weakened bone collapses into the drilled hole spaces used for the implant. This is a notable concern in leg or hip bones that have to bear body weight.
Any implant removal should never be taken lightly. There aresurgical risksthat may include:
The removal of an implant may weaken the bone. It also may not work to reduce any pain. Be sure to talk with an experienced orthopedic surgeon so that you fully understand the benefits and risks, as well as any treatment alternatives that may be available.
Orthopedic Surgery for Removing Hardware
Summary
In these cases, it may be better to remove implants even though they were meant to stay in place. Removal itself requires more surgery and comes with its own risks, including infection. It’s also an option that doesn’t always work. Your healthcare provider will need to assess whether an implant removal is likely to succeed.
A Word From Verywell
4 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Walley KC, Hofmann KJ, Velasco BT, Kwon JY.Removal of hardware after syndesmotic screw fixation: a systematic literature review.Foot Ankle Spec. 2017;10(3):252-257. doi:10.1177/1938640016685153Kellish AS, Shahi A, Rodriguez JA Jr, et al.Implant removal due to infection after open reduction and internal fixation: trends and predictors.Arch Bone Jt Surg. 2022;10(6):514-524. doi:10.22038/ABJS.2021.53838.2688Goodman SB, Gallo J, Gibon E, Takagi M.Diagnosis and management of implant debris-associated inflammation.Expert Rev Med Devices. 2020;17(1):41-56. doi:10.1080/17434440.2020.1702024Kellam PJ, Harrast J, Weinberg M, Martin DF, Davidson NP, Saltzman CL.Complications of hardware removal.J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2021;103(22):2089-2095. doi:10.2106/JBJS.20.02231
4 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Walley KC, Hofmann KJ, Velasco BT, Kwon JY.Removal of hardware after syndesmotic screw fixation: a systematic literature review.Foot Ankle Spec. 2017;10(3):252-257. doi:10.1177/1938640016685153Kellish AS, Shahi A, Rodriguez JA Jr, et al.Implant removal due to infection after open reduction and internal fixation: trends and predictors.Arch Bone Jt Surg. 2022;10(6):514-524. doi:10.22038/ABJS.2021.53838.2688Goodman SB, Gallo J, Gibon E, Takagi M.Diagnosis and management of implant debris-associated inflammation.Expert Rev Med Devices. 2020;17(1):41-56. doi:10.1080/17434440.2020.1702024Kellam PJ, Harrast J, Weinberg M, Martin DF, Davidson NP, Saltzman CL.Complications of hardware removal.J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2021;103(22):2089-2095. doi:10.2106/JBJS.20.02231
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Walley KC, Hofmann KJ, Velasco BT, Kwon JY.Removal of hardware after syndesmotic screw fixation: a systematic literature review.Foot Ankle Spec. 2017;10(3):252-257. doi:10.1177/1938640016685153Kellish AS, Shahi A, Rodriguez JA Jr, et al.Implant removal due to infection after open reduction and internal fixation: trends and predictors.Arch Bone Jt Surg. 2022;10(6):514-524. doi:10.22038/ABJS.2021.53838.2688Goodman SB, Gallo J, Gibon E, Takagi M.Diagnosis and management of implant debris-associated inflammation.Expert Rev Med Devices. 2020;17(1):41-56. doi:10.1080/17434440.2020.1702024Kellam PJ, Harrast J, Weinberg M, Martin DF, Davidson NP, Saltzman CL.Complications of hardware removal.J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2021;103(22):2089-2095. doi:10.2106/JBJS.20.02231
Walley KC, Hofmann KJ, Velasco BT, Kwon JY.Removal of hardware after syndesmotic screw fixation: a systematic literature review.Foot Ankle Spec. 2017;10(3):252-257. doi:10.1177/1938640016685153
Kellish AS, Shahi A, Rodriguez JA Jr, et al.Implant removal due to infection after open reduction and internal fixation: trends and predictors.Arch Bone Jt Surg. 2022;10(6):514-524. doi:10.22038/ABJS.2021.53838.2688
Goodman SB, Gallo J, Gibon E, Takagi M.Diagnosis and management of implant debris-associated inflammation.Expert Rev Med Devices. 2020;17(1):41-56. doi:10.1080/17434440.2020.1702024
Kellam PJ, Harrast J, Weinberg M, Martin DF, Davidson NP, Saltzman CL.Complications of hardware removal.J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2021;103(22):2089-2095. doi:10.2106/JBJS.20.02231
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