title: [Hardware removal after pelvic ring injury].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pelvic ring fractures are considered as rare injuries. Minimally invasive sacroiliac screw fixation has been used increasingly in recent years as an operative strategy for the treatment of these injuries, if the dorsal pelvic ring needed to be addressed. Treatment options for the anterior pelvic ring comprise plates, screws or external fixation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Based on the limited number of publications on this subject and our own experience with 80 patients who suffered pelvic ring B- or C-type injuries during a period of 8 years we are able to show that the indication for hardware removal in the pelvic ring should be strictly defined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In some cases like external fixation, implant-associated infection, malpositioning, allergic implant reaction, critical soft tissue covering, palpable hardware and consolidated juvenile fractures implant removal is certainly indicated. In patients without symptoms and in patients with trauma-associated symptoms which are not definitely associated with the hardware, the removal should be only indicated after thorough consideration of the risks versus the benefits and additionally by taking the initial injury pattern into account. If despite all these objections the hardware removal has been indicated it should always be considered that hardware removal may be challenging with several possible severe complications.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Unfall- und Wiederherstellungschirurgie, Berufsgenossenschaftliche Unfallklinik Tübingen, Eberhard Karls-Universität Tübingen, Schnarrenbergstraße 95, 72076, Tübingen, Deutschland.
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Stuby
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Gonser
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Baron
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Stöckle
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Badke
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Ochs
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001860:Bone Plates; D001863:Bone Screws; D002648:Child; D020878:Device Removal / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010384:Pelvic Bones / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult