Rifle—Plate 47.
LOWER EXTREMITY.
Gunshot Wound of the Gluteal Region,
with Lodgment of the Bullet Near the Ischium.
Wound of entrance, over gluteal prominence on a transverse line through the great trochanter.
Wound of exit, none.
There was no bone injury in this case. The bullet, to have lodged in the soft parts after relatively slight penetration, must have struck the body at extreme range when its energy was almost spent in flight, for its normal outline indicates that it was not retarded by ricochet. The long axis is almost perpendicular to the plate. As the posterior pelvis was next to the plate, the fairly dense shadow shows the projectile was not far from the plate and behind the ischium.
The treatment is conservative; infection in such cases is extremely rare; and only pain or impaired function after many months of convalescence justifies operation for removal of the missile.
Plate 48.
