4 month s/p orif trimalleolar fracture of ankle. i have moderate swelling and sharp pain in location of 2 screws. do the screw need to be removed?

Painful hardware: Any time there is foreign material, including well intentioned screws used to repair fractures, and the hardware is symptomatic, that hardware should be considered for removal. Metals serve no purpose once bones have healed. This is assuming that bony healing has actually occurred, which is not always the case. See your orthopedic surgeon for his recommendations.