Disintegration of Multiple Parts of a Bone Transport Nail During Planned Removal

Abstract

Abstract Case: A 34-year-old man with a distal tibia bone defect was treated with an intramedullary bone transport nail (Precice Bone Transport System, NuVasive). During planned removal after successful treatment, 7 separate subcomponents of the nail became disconnected and had to be separately removed using specialized instrumentation. This occurred despite adherence to the manufacturer’s recommended technique for nail removal and in the absence of clinical or radiographic evidence of implant failure. Conclusion: When planning for implant removal, surgeons should be aware of potential intraoperative disconnection of subcomponents of this magnetic bone transport nail and ensure that equipment for retrieval (e.g., very long endoscopy forceps) is available.