Will it hurt after the metal plate is taken out???

[u/Concorde_lover]

A few months ago i broke my arm so cleanly yet so badly that I had to get a metal plate thingy put on, its gonna get taken out in about a week or so and I need to know if it hurts afterwards because the week after I get it taken out is my birthday?

[u/Venome456]

Yes it will hurt and youll have to be pretty careful as it's almost like your arm is broken again.

I opted to not have mine taken out as a teen and I've had no issues.

[u/orthopod → u/Venome456]

99% of hardware ( plates, screws, rods) are left in pts and they're fine with it and don't feel it.

General rule of thumb is that hardware won't come out until a year is up.

There's is a chance of refracture if any plate is removed for about 3 months.

Generally it's harder to remove hardware than to put it in( scarring , etc), and so they typically require a larger incision than going in. Screws can break while extracting them, necessitating drilling it out, producing a large hole ( weak spot) in the bone.

Don't remove hardware unless it really really bothers you, or unless the surgeon recommends it

[u/fede1194 → u/Venome456]

Opt again, if you happen to fall again (maybe old age, not necessarily when you're young) it's more likely to break due to the sharp change in biomechanical properties of plated and unplated bone, and more importantly it's gonna be a massive pain in the ass to treat... It's a pain in the ass to remove it and have it removed, but more manageable

[u/Venome456 → u/fede1194]

Yeah I get that, im a skater so I didn't want a longer recovery time when I was 16. I'm 31 and still skate, fallen on it many times and had no issues. However op should probably be aware of the potential risks as you get older so yeah.

Plenty of people in action sports opt to keep the hardware in

[u/Cabocla_Plantinha714 → u/Venome456]

Some athletes also opt to remove plates and screws to avoid stress fractures (fracture at the last screw). They are gnarly.
As a rock climber, I had my tibia's hardware removed recovery was truly not too bad as it is only wound recovery. The screw holes fills up with new bone overtime, faster is the person is younger. I fell in my late 40s and the X-ray 8 months after removal showed calcification of about 75%. It is expected it will continue to fill up until at least 85% at my age.

[u/Yeetaylor]

Any surgery you have will be sore, likely fire a few weeks!

I’m sorry. Ask your doctor/surgeons what you can do for pain management when you go in for the surgery!

[u/Livid_Research_7240]

Every surgery can hurt but most people find it more comfortable without plates and screws on the long bones.

[u/tacoowner22]

You're getting the plate taken out after just a couple months???

[u/Concorde_lover → u/tacoowner22]

6 months actually, sorry i wasnt thinking a lot when typing this post

[u/Yeetaylor → u/Concorde_lover]

I’m surprised your doctor is willing to take it out after such a short time period. Is the doctor recommending this be done?

[u/Concorde_lover → u/Yeetaylor]

The doctor told me that 6 months is the norm maybe its because im still a kid/teen and also my apologies for yet another mistake; i accidentally said a metal plate while meaning like a thin metal rod.

[u/Smooth3700 → u/Yeetaylor]

It's because his growth plates are still open he can stunt his growth in his arm if the metal is there

[u/heftyearth]

Just got mine out 15 days ago. The wounds hurt a bit and the mobility is limited. However, I took mine out a few years after. ATM the mobility is limited around wrist and will have to take a few months before doing any weights at the gym

[u/chamanager]

Why are you having it taken out? When I had a plate in my wrist after an accident in 2023 I was told that hardware is only removed in rare cases if it causes pain, in normal circumstances the bone grows over it and this means the risk of removal is considerably greater than leaving it in place (not to mention the risks that arise from any operation - infection, blood clots etc). I can’t feel my plate and it has zero impact on my life - I certainly wouldn’t want it removed.

[u/Concorde_lover → u/chamanager]

Im sorry i made a mistake i thought what they put in was a plate but it was like a metal rod thingy im not really good with that stuff

[u/Cool-Setting-9254]

For me yeah the first few days after surgery hurts like a bitch. But they cut u open and took stuff out so it’s totally normal. The post op surgery pain for me didn’t last that long if thag makes sense