title: Use of a magnet to retrieve a broken scalpel blade.
abstract: The retrieval of metallic foreign bodies, such as screws, drill bits, needles, and scalpel blades, from the surgical wound during orthopaedic surgery is often a time-consuming procedure. The extra time and dissection may result in increased morbidity. We report a case during a hip arthroplasty in which a broken surgical blade could not be located with surgical dissection even with the aid of an image intensifier. The broken blade finally was retrieved with the introduction of a magnet.
authors.affiliation: Joint Replacement Institute, Orthopaedic Hospital, Los Angeles, California 90007, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Prasad
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Amstutz
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Sparling
mesh_terms: D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip; D005260:Female; D005548:Foreign-Body Migration / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D008280:Magnetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D013525:Surgical Instruments