Role of Intraoperative Documentation: Avoidable Ulnar Nerve Injury During Implant Removal

TL;DR

This paper discusses a rare case of ulnar nerve injury during implant removal and highlights the importance of proper documentation and surgical techniques to prevent such injuries.

Contribution

The paper presents a rare case of ulnar nerve injury during implant removal and emphasizes the role of intraoperative documentation in avoiding such complications.

Findings

Ulnar nerve injury can occur during implant removal despite proper surgical precautions.

Intraoperative documentation and surgical approach are critical in preventing nerve injuries.

Anterior transposition of the nerve could help avoid complications during such procedures.

Abstract

Injuries to the ulnar nerve during open reduction and internal fixation of distal humerus fractures are a well-known phenomenon. However, ulnar nerve injury during implant removal has not been well documented. We performed implant removal in a united distal humerus fracture with the aim of improving the elbow's range of motion. Even with proper surgical precautions in place, the ulnar nerve was damaged during dissection. This report aims to provide insight into this rare phenomenon, and the reasons for this injury are examined retrospectively. The importance of operation notes, the surgical approach, anterior transposition of the nerve, and how this and other factors could have helped the surgeons avoid this complication have also been highlighted.

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