Minimally invasive removal of a deep-positioned cannulated screw from the femoral neck: A case report

BACKGROUND: Clinical femoral neck fracture is common. Based on patient age and fracture type, different surgical methods can be selected, including cannulated screw fixation of the femoral neck and artificial total hip joint or semi-hip joint replacement. When patients with femoral neck fracture are treated with cannulated screw fixation, a cannulated screw may be positioned too deep. The excessively deep-placed screw is difficult to remove and causes major trauma to the patient. CASE SUMMARY: A patient with poliomyelitis and femoral neck fracture was treated with a cannulated screw that was placed too deep. A self-made auxiliary tool (made of a steel sternal wire) was used to remove the cannulated screw near the pelvic cavity. CONCLUSION: The depth of the cannulated screw can be estimated before screw placement using an improved hollow screwdriver with a scale mark, thus improving the safety of screw placement and facilitating clinical use.