Intraosseous Catfish Barb Treated With Cannulated Drill in a Pediatric Patient

Catfish injuries to the upper extremity following fishing activities are common in the southern United States, especially because noodling is commonplace in this region. Noodling is when a fisher will stick their hand into an area where a catfish is guarding its eggs and grab the catfish by its mouth. Different mechanisms of injury, including envenomation and spine embedment, can occur and ultimately lead to different patient presentations, including the retention of foreign bodies or infection. Literature reviews of catfish injuries primarily report the retention of foreign bodies within soft tissues, infection, and envenomation. We present the first case report of a patient who sustained a ring finger proximal phalangeal physeal injury involving the growth cartilage caused by a penetration injury from a catfish barb. A novel method for safely extracting these barbs with no subsequent growth arrest or range of motion limitation is also presented.