Bent femoral intramedullary nails: a report of two cases with need for urgent removal.

Two cases of bent intramedullary femoral nail removal are presented. Both patients had to be operated, for different reasons, as soon as possible. A metal cutting blade was used as an option for partial or full sectioning of the nails. For both cases, a lateral approach was required. For one case, this approach had to be combined with a small anteromedial incision so that the blade could move across the thigh. One nail was removed in one piece and the other in two pieces separately. Both nails were exchanged with other interlocked nails. Both fractures healed without complications despite the extensive and relatively traumatic approach. Our rationale for nail sectioning depending on angulation elements is presented and proposed.