A 32-year-old woman arrived at the Emergency Department with a self-inflicted stab to her left ring finger while preparing an avocado. Remarkably, the knife remained lodged in both her finger and the avocado on arrival.
Examination revealed reduced sensation along the radial side of the finger, but circulation was intact and flexor and extensor function was preserved. In the ED, the knife was removed under digital nerve block, the wound irrigated, and tetanus prophylaxis with antibiotics administered.
She was then taken to the operating theatre for wound exploration under axillary block and brachial tourniquet. The transected radial digital nerve was carefully identified and repaired using 9-0 nylon under 3.5× loupe magnification.
The patient was discharged the same day, recovering fully with complete return of finger motion.
Photo Credit: G Rahmani, J Martin-Smith, P Sullivan