Presentation
Right anterior distal third leg wood splinter injury a few days back. Complaining of local pain, swelling
Patient Data
There is a linear echogenic focus (about 20 mm in length) with acoustic shadowing in the distal anterior leg subcutaneous plane. Its proximal end is close to the skin puncture wound. There is no local abscess/ granuloma. Underlying tibialis anterior and extensor hallucis longus are normal.
Skin marking shows that the foreign body is directed cranially and slightly medially from its entry wound. Surgical incision at the skin marking revealed the foreign body which was retrieved.
Case Discussion
A young male had a wood splinter injury to the leg followed by pain. Ultrasound was done to confirm the presence of a foreign body, localize it in the anatomical plane, and look for any associated complications like abscess, tenosynovitis, neurovascular injury. The foreign body was in the subcutaneous plane which was surgically retrieved.
Intraoperative photos courtesy: operating surgeon Dr. Piyush Patel