Intramedullary nail

An intramedullary nail (also called an IM nail or "rod") is a long metal rod inserted into the marrow cavity, the hollow center that runs through the shaft of a long bone such as the femur, tibia, or humerus. The surgeon usually makes a small incision near one end of the bone and threads the rod through the canal, across the fracture, so the broken pieces line up and stay stable. Screws are often placed through the bone and the rod above and below the break to keep everything from rotating or shifting.

This approach is commonly used for fractures of the femoral shaft, tibia, and sometimes the humerus, especially after higher-impact injuries. Compared to a plate and screws on the outside of the bone, a nail sits inside the bone itself, which can allow more even distribution of forces along the length of the bone during healing. The choice between an IM nail and other fixation methods, like plates, external fixation, or hip pinning, depends on the fracture pattern, bone quality, and the surgeon's judgment.

After surgery, your weight-bearing status, how much weight you're allowed to put on the leg or arm, is decided by your surgical team and depends on how the bone was fixed and how it's healing. Recovery includes monitoring for bone union, working with a physical therapist, and sometimes later hardware removal if the rod causes irritation. Any decisions about surgery, rehab pace, or hardware removal should be made with your orthopedic surgeon, who can see your imaging and overall healing progress.