Need some help with screw in tibia

3.5 months ago I broke my tibia and fibula in a motorcycle wreck.  I had a nail placed in the tibia along with three screws, one at the knee and two at the ankle.  In my x-ray I notice the screw tips stick out from the bone a bit. A few weeks ago I started having some pain that seemed to be right where the screw tip would be, mostly when I first stood up and walked a few steps.  Well a couple of days ago I went for a walk that was quite a bit longer than my usual walks.  The place where the screw tip would be that had the pain is now swollen a bit but it now only hurts when touched NOT when I walk on it.  I'm wondering if the screw tip kind of dug out a place inside from the walk and isn't touching what it was unless I press in on it.  

I'm also trying to figure out if the screws can be taken out but the nail left in place. I'm just wondering this so that I could avoid the pain from the screws but not have to deal with my knee being stiff and painful again from them cutting it open and removing the nail.

Thank you for any information.

[S. Kaul, MD]

Hi there!

Well, without a clinical evaluation it would be difficult to determine the cause of your symptoms. This may or may not be related to hardware issues, while there certainly is a possibility of the screws causing compression/ compression of surrounding structures causing pain. I would suggest seeking a review with your treating orthopedician for an accurate diagnosis and appropriate management.
Hope this is helpful.

Take care!