Antecubital Burn Resulting From Antenna Coupling: A Case Report

Area of Science:

• Medical device safety
• Surgical complications
• Electrosurgery

Background:

• Electrosurgery is a common surgical tool.
• Intraoperative burns are a known but infrequent complication.
• The specific mechanism of
• antenna coupling
• has not been well-documented in orthopaedic surgery.

Observation:

• A 54-year-old male patient developed a third-degree burn on his left antecubital fossa after hip disarticulation surgery.
• The burn required a skin graft and was attributed to electrosurgery.
• The likely cause identified was
• antenna coupling
• , a phenomenon where energy transfer occurs between unshielded cords.

Findings:

• An experiment was conducted to demonstrate the
• antenna coupling
• phenomenon.
• This experiment confirmed that electrosurgical cords can act as antennas, transferring energy and causing unintended burns.
• This is the first report describing antenna coupling as a cause of intraoperative burns in the orthopaedic literature.

Implications:

• Surgeons and staff must be aware of the potential for
• antenna coupling
• during electrosurgery.
• Careful management of electrosurgical device cords, avoiding coiling with other metallic or corded devices, is crucial to prevent such burns.
• Enhanced vigilance and procedural modifications can improve patient safety during electrosurgical procedures.