Rifle—Plate 26.
UPPER EXTREMITY.
Gunshot Fracture of the Radius.
Wound of entrance, midway between radius and ulna and midway between elbow and wrist, anterior aspect of the forearm.
Wound of exit, over radius at point opposite.
The course of the bullet, in the medium velocity of mid range, in piercing the medullary canal has almost succeeded in drilling the bone without splitting off several longitudinal fragments. Small fragments followed the course of the missile, without being energized sufficiently to lacerate the point of exit by escaping with the projectile.
The wound of exit in such cases hardly differs enough from the wound of entrance to be distinguishable. This condition so often obtains that the great majority of perforating rifle wounds of the forearm do not show the blow-out or “explosive” effect which seems to be generally misunderstood as a classic accompaniment.
The bullet was traveling at high velocity of perhaps less than mid range.
The treatment is usually that of a simple fracture, and warrants no interference except in case of occasional infection.