title: Retained broken implants in the craniomaxillofacial skeleton.
abstract: Facial fracture patients are seen in a Level 1 trauma hospital. In our institution, we manage many patients with facial fractures and carry out more than 150 surgical procedures every year. Open reduction and internal fixation is our management of choice. All surgical procedures involve drilling of bone and implant insertion to keep the fractured bones in an anatomically reduced position to aid healing. Occasionally, drill bits used to create the pilot hole break and are embedded in the bone. We present a situation in which such an incident occurred and review the literature on retained broken implants and devices.
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Department of Surgery, National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Vigneswaran
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nallathamby
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Department of Surgery, National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Hanjing
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Department of Surgery, National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Yap Yan
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Department of Surgery, National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Department of Surgery, National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Wei Chen
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Ong
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Department of Surgery, National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Thiam-Chye
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Lim
keywords: broken drill bit; broken implants; broken screw; fracture implants; retained implants