ABSTRACT

Aims & Objective. To assess the incidence and rate of implant removal among orthopedic patients, its indications, and the effect of COVID-19 pandemic.

Material & Method: A retrospective study was done during the period from October 2017 to October 2020 included all patients admitted for removal of orthopedic implants.

Results: One-hundred eleven patients with a mean age of 28 ± 10.9 years were included in this study. Most (83.8%) were males. The incidence rate of removal was 20.2%. The mean period between implant fixation and removal was 26 ± 20 months. Lower limb fractures constituted 85.6% of cases with about half of them as foot and ankle fractures. The most frequently presented fractures were femur and tibia (33.3% and 21.6%, respectively), while the most frequently removed implants were plate and screws (43.2%). Only 8.9% of surgeries were indicated for removal, and only 4.5% of all patients suffered post-removal complications.

Conclusion: Non indicated implant removal occurs at a significantly high rate in Saudi Arabia. No real indications for such a procedure were found in the majority of patients. COVID-19 control strategies caused a significant decrease in this high rate.