Internal fixation - should it be removed or not?

[stormchaser1980]

I broke my ankle in 2 places about 6 years ago, I spent 4 weeks in hospital waiting for the swelling to go down and then they did an internal fixation with a plate and screws. After 8 weeks of having a cast it was removed and the hospital said it all looked fine, that the plate/screws could stay in permanently and it was up to me whether I wanted to have them removed in the future.

I was fine about leaving them in (after all, who wants another operation?!) but for the last few years I've been having periods pain in the ankle.

It happens several times a year with pain so bad that it can wake me up from sleeping, occasionally the pain shoots up my leg to about mid tibia and I have to strap it up to get any relief. It doesn't seem to be weather related pain as it happens at different times of the year but it does seem to hurt less after I've been walking on it for a little while.

I've read different things on the internet but mostly that these plates should be removed after a couple of years because after this they can start to cause bone loss and other problems.

Should I have had the plate & screws removed already? If I choose to have them removed now, am I more likely to have a weakness in my ankle?

I'm 34 years old, normal weight and walk quite a lot so I'd class myself as being quite active.

[stormchaser1980]

Thanks for your reply. I will speak to my doctor and see what he says but I suspect that you're right and they will want to remove them.

[philnoir]

If the bone is healthy and has knit properly, and the plates and screws are causing pain, then your orthopedic doc will probably recommend their removal.

Not knowing anything about your fracture, I cannot offer an opinion on the state of your ankle post surgery. Healing ceased 5 years ago. These prosthetics are implanted to support the bones during healing and are no longer needed.