Process of removing nails from fractures

If the fracture is severe, steel nails or plaster will be placed in it, because severe fractures and unfixed damaged locations may lead to poor bone healing, leaving sequelae in future life. Many people want to know when they can take the nail out after it’s been inserted. After all, it feels strange to have a nail in your body. The process of removing nails from fractures is very simple. It is performed by a doctor and the patient does not need to do anything.

Whether to remove the nails inserted during fracture surgery after recovery depends on the circumstances.

The materials currently used in clinical practice are relatively safe and generally do not cause any major impact in the body. In addition, the removal of internal fixators is actually another trauma. Therefore, if the inserted nails have no effect on joint movement and other aspects after recovery and life can proceed normally, you may consider not removing them.

However, doctors generally recommend that patients remove internal fixators after recovery. This is mainly because nails are stored in the human body as foreign bodies and are incompatible with internal tissues. When external forces act, bones need to be unloaded, and the internal fixators will bear part of the force. Over time, the bones cannot receive stress stimulation for a long time, which can easily lead to side effects such as disuse osteoporosis and bone resorption.

In addition, since the human body fluid environment has acidity and alkalinity, and nails are metal objects, metal objects may undergo electrolytic reactions due to changes in the acidity and alkalinity in the body, causing the nails to loosen, break, corrode, etc. Therefore, the long-term presence of nails in the body will actually pose a major hidden danger to the human body.

If the nail breaks, slips, or corrodes during the fracture healing period or after complete healing, you should go to the hospital in time to remove and replace it, otherwise it may cause secondary fracture and wound infection.

Whether the steel nails are removed after surgery depends mainly on the situation. It is recommended that patients go to the hospital for examination after recovery. If there is no abnormality with the steel nails and there are no adverse reactions in the body, they can decide whether to remove the nails based on the doctor's advice and their own ideas. However, if any abnormality is found in the steel nail, it must be removed in time, otherwise it is likely to cause adverse consequences.