Limb fractures: hospitals are told to check that correct fixation plates were used in surgery

Hospitals in England have been told to review all x rays of patients who had metal plates fitted for limb fractures in the past year, in case the wrong type of fixation plate was used.

NHS Improvement and the British Orthopaedic Association issued the patient safety alert after a systematic review of patient records at one NHS trust found seven cases where the wrong type of fixation plate had been used. The plate failed in two cases: the first after a fall and the second after rehabilitation physiotherapy. The cases involved different surgeons, scrub teams, and theatres, and …