Healed ORIF in a fibula fracture - Hardware removal or hardware retention for the fibula in a patient with minor symptoms?

History: - A 31yo female is involved in a fall while climbing on some wet rocks. She was brought into the emergency department and was found to have suffered a closed fracture of the right fibula with a deltoid ligament injury. Distal neurovascular exam was normal. She is otherwise unhurt. She had ORIF of her ankle injury and it has gone onto heal with good results. She comes back at 6 months and complains of vague pain over her lateral ankle and hardware with a normal physical exam. She wonders about hardware removal, (Figs. 1 and 2). Past medical history: - previous history of breast reduction surgery and she has delivered one child vaginally. No chronic diseases and she takes no pills except the birth control pill.Social history: - married with one child and works as an administrative assistant for a manufacturing company; she is a social drinker and nonsmoker. Has a history of using some recreational drugs but none for 10 years. She is moderately active.

Automated summary

A 31-year-old female suffered a right fibula fracture with deltoid ligament injury after falling while climbing on wet rocks. She had ORIF surgery and recovered well, but has developed vague pain and hardware sensation at the lateral ankle 6 months later. Her past medical history includes breast reduction surgery and vaginal delivery, and she has a social history of alcohol consumption and past recreational drug use.