Why Would Hardware Be Removed After Foot Or Ankle Surgery?

Depending on your issue, there’s a chance that your foot surgeon may insert hardware into the surgical site in order to promote ideal healing. This hardware can ensure that bones grow as expected or fuse in a particular manner, but once the job is done, this hardware may be removed by the surgeon. In today’s blog, we take a look at some of the reasons why surgical hardware would be removed after it has been inserted during a foot or ankle operation.

Will My Surgical Hardware Be Removed?

Here’s a look at some reasons why your hardware may be removed with a secondary procedure.

Infection – Although the surgical hardware itself cannot get infected because it isn’t living tissue, sometimes bacteria can accumulate on or around the hardware and lead to a bone or soft tissue infection. If the infection is jeopardizing the structural integrity of your hardware, or if the hardware needs to be removed in order to successfully manage the infection, a second procedure to address the implants may be required.

Job Is Done – In some instances, surgical hardware can simply be removed when the job is done. Once enough bone healing has taken place, the surgeon may go back in with minimally invasive techniques and remove the small pieces of hardware, especially if they are causing discomfort or have the potential to cause problems down the road. That said, removal isn’t typically the standard process, and because things can go wrong during a removal procedure, many specialists are hesitant to go back in and remove the hardware after the job is done if their presence isn’t currently causing issues. Also, some companies like OSSIO, Inc. are working on bio-integrative hardware that fully integrates with the bone as it heals to essentially leave no foreign hardware behind once healing has run its course!

Hardware Sensitivity – Although we continue to produce hardware that lasts longer and is less likely to cause problems for the patient, there is the possibility that the patient will have an immune response to the surgically implanted hardware. Sensitivity to certain metals like nickel, chromium or cobalt can lead to pain, discomfort, inflammation or tissue breakdown near the implant site, which may require a secondary removal procedure.

Non-union – Despite the surgeon’s best efforts, the surgical hardware may not produce the healing results that the team had hoped for. If the bones don’t heal as expected, it’s considered a non-union or incomplete healing, and a revision procedure to address the hardware may be necessary.