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screws and plate removal from wrist

Posted , 17 users are following.

liqaa74164
liqaa74164

Any one had screws and plate removal from wrist after fracture radius and ulna my CT scan showed that one of screws is in the radio ulnar joint .I will have operation for removal on 21 of February.I am three months after my open reduction and internal fixation surgery.Iam worried about pain and the immobilization after surgery.

2 likes, 52 replies

52 Replies

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  • paula042254
    paula042254 liqaa74164

    Posted

    hi    i broke my wrist in germany last year   had surery with a plate and a few screws      have had no problems    dr said it could come out in 6 months to a year if i wanted      i see no reason  and really do not want another surgeon to work on me  as i am back here in ca.    is there reason to believe i will have problems with keeping th eplate in?   i am 62
    • Sally4Edgar
      Sally4Edgar paula042254

      Posted

      I also have a plate and screws in my wrist. Here in the UK it's not general practice to remove the plate unless it's giving you problems, which I'm told rarely happens, so if you don't want to go through more surgery I don't see why you should have to. 
    • paula042254
      paula042254 Sally4Edgar

      Posted

      thank you      i also have to decide to accept a payout from workers comp  whcih i am hesitant to do becuase what if i need to do so  will the amount they are offering me be enough to pay      but i dont care that i have anything in me as long as i am not deveoping any problems      again thank you
    • liqaa74164
      liqaa74164 paula042254

      Posted

      Dear paula you don't have to remove the screws unless it is causing problems,some says it has no benefits after fracture healing and it might cause osteoporosis and fracture at the sites of screws.
    • liqaa74164
      liqaa74164

      Posted

      My screws removal surgery was easy but after one week I developed infection in lumbar intervertebral disc L1 and L2 so screw removal is a surgery with all of it's complications.
  • paula042254
    paula042254 liqaa74164

    Posted

    so  from what i am hearing  if i  do not have problems  dont have surgery to remove the plate and screws   as a surgery even if easy could have its own new set of issues    thank you       i am curious tho how much did the removal surgery cost?  
  • MGZ23671
    MGZ23671 liqaa74164

    Posted

    I fractured my wrist in April (both ulna and radius).  The surgeon placed a plate and screws in both bones and pins that went across (ORIF).  I also had nerve damage so he did the median nerve release...i still have numbness in my fingers.  I was immobilized in a removal splint for 6 weeks.  On the 6th week he removed the 3 pins that went across. I started OT on the 7th week.  I am now 2 weeks in therapy and my range of motion is terrible...i have alot of stiffness.  I am having so much trouble pronating my hand (palm face down) mostly, but also all other movements  of the wrist.  I know this is a process and it takes time.  I'm just wondering if thr hardware is limiting my range of motion as well and if you had these issues?

    My surgeon plans on removing both plates at the 6 month mark from the first surgery.

    Did your range of motion improve once the plates were removed?

    • liqaa74164
      liqaa74164 MGZ23671

      Posted

      Dear mgz yes the range of my hand motion improveaafter hardware removal but be patient it takes time don't worry and allow time for healing .

    • MGZ23671
      MGZ23671 liqaa74164

      Posted

      Thank you for responding.  Glad to hear that you saw improvement after the hardware removal.  I'm definitley being patient and working on the exercises that the therapist gave me consistently.  

  • Angelita37
    Angelita37 liqaa74164

    Posted

    Thank tyou ladies I had a question about the removal of the screw and plate had surgery 3months ago and. In the xrays is showing that the screw is coming up and moving, my bones look like they are separated and they said will need a second surgery.I guess that explains why still hurst a lots
    • liqaa74164
      liqaa74164 Angelita37

      Posted

      Hi angelita if you are going to have a second surgery for hardware removal don't worry it will much easier and less painful but it is bettet to have good healing before removal.

  • Geosly
    Geosly liqaa74164

    Posted

    Broke my right humerus in March 2012. Had a plate and 7 screws used to fix the fracture. Started feeling aching, finger cramping and pains in October, 2016. X-ray showed screws are intact. Yet pain was becoming unbearable. Had the plate and screws removed on 9th of November, 2016. Used a sling to support the hand. The pains reduced for few days. But after the 5th day the pain got worse. AM having sleepless nights. Pain relief drugs seem not to work. My surgeon said there should not be pain. The pain became worst at some hand positions. I decided to loosen the sling at probably an angle of 145 degrees (It was 90 degrees initially), and the pain stopped. That is why I am able to type on my keyboard right now in this forum. I just hope this will not cause more harm than good. My surgery is just a week old. Stitches still on.
    • sandra27455
      sandra27455 Geosly

      Posted

      How are you doing now? I'm having right humerus ORIF hardware removed in a couple of days. Wondering how much pain, recovery process, etc. Thanks for sharing.

    • Geosly
      Geosly sandra27455

      Posted

      Hi Sandra,

      It probably feels less painful than the first surgery that puts the screws there, and recovery time is also shorter than first. You would not need a cast on your hand this time. You should be fine once the surgery cut heals.

      But I got some complications in my surgery. One of the screws broke and my surgeon could not remove it. The cramps/numbness never stopped till date. I got in touch with doctors in India and I have been asked to do NCV and EMG tests. They suspect injury to my nerve or muscles. Currently I am in Estonia and hope to do the tests before returning to Nigeria. But I am able to use the hand for many things but find it difficult to botton my shirt. I am also thinking of seeing a phisiotherapist before doing the tests... Many stories but I think my case is rare. So you should be fine. Regards.

    • siddhartha2465
      siddhartha2465 Geosly

      Posted

      Hey

      I got operated for a broken radius and twisted ulna around ten hours ago. The radius has been fixed with a plate using six screws. I am here on this discussion because if the enormous amount of next level pain that I am going through.

      How long is this unbearable pain going to be thee for? Also, is there any way by which it can be reduced?

    • Geosly
      Geosly siddhartha2465

      Posted

      Hi Sandra. Sorry for replying you late. I guess you should already be fine by now.
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