Metallic implant removal in children.

The indications for removing metal that was implanted in children and the practice of removing it have changed dramatically during the past century, but this subject is rarely discussed in publications, oral presentations, or resident training curricula. Thus, during their training, residents learn about the topic only sporadically from evaluating patients. This article presents the cases for and against metallic implant removal and identifies situations in which removal is appropriate and situations in which it is not.