Removal of a Nail From Bone After Nail Gun Injury: A Case Report and Utility of a Classic Technique

Nail gun injuries are common, work-related injuries that typically involve bony impalement of an extremity with the nail. Treatment recommendations are well established, although suggestions for removing the nail itself have been lacking. In our hands, removal using typical operating room equipment has been challenging, usually resulting in nail head deformity and breakage, which makes completing the procedure even more difficult. As a result, we have revisited the tool designed solely for the purpose of nail removal, that is, a claw hammer: this tool is readily available from materials management at most hospitals, can be easily autoclaved, and is effectively used with a block or surgical pan lid to gain leverage and protect the soft tissues. We have found this method to be simple and extremely useful for nail removal for the nail-impaled patient.