Feel screw from surgery through skin?
Question:
i thought it was just a swollen place, but i realized it is the screw around my patella.
is it unusual to be able to see it poke up a little and to be able to feel it?
also is it normal for a screw to be directly under an incision scar?
Answers:
It happens. It's one of the reasons screws and plates are a bad idea. I realize in that particular location there is little other choice, but if there is a choice, don't let the doctor use screws. Use a cast.
Painful hardware is not uncommon following any reconstructive surgery. The screw can be located anywhere in the surgical area, while uncommon to be directly under the incisional scar. I suggest you speak to your orthopedic surgeon and discuss the possibility of removing the hardware as it is causing pain.
I would say that it isn't uncommon. It happened to my friend who broke her elbow and had it fixed.
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