WEDNESDAY, Dec. 10 (HealthDay News) -- The rate of orthopaedic instrument breakage over a two-year period in two hospitals was very low, and didn't pose a threat to patients, according to study results published in the December issue of the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
Wolfgang Pichler, M.D., of the Medical University of Graz in Austria, and colleagues reviewed records of instrument breakage in a variety of orthopaedic procedures performed at two hospitals in Austria and Italy, and also reviewed any problems arising during 12 to 36 months of follow-up.
The researchers report that there was instrument breakage in 42 of 11,856 procedures (0.35 percent). These included 23 drill bits, 14 Kirschner wires, three taps, a probe and a screwdriver tip. In five cases, the broken part was removed. None of the remaining patients had symptoms during the follow-up period, the report indicates. The investigators found no significant correlation between rate of instrument breakage and surgeon experience.
"According to the results of our studyÂ…removal of a broken metal drill bit is not indicated routinely if it sticks firmly in the bone and is not near blood vessels or nerves. In our opinion, a broken instrument part should be removed when it is loose, it penetrates both cortices of the bone, it lies near a vessel or nerve, or it lies near or in a joint. Kirschner wires have a tendency to migrate, especially if they are smooth, and we would in general recommend removal of a broken Kirschner wire," the authors write.
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