Diagnosis and treatment of retained foreign bodies in the hand

A retrospective review was conducted of 200 consecutive patients with foreign bodies in the hand seen between 1976 and 1982. Wood, glass, and metal accounted for 95 percent of the foreign bodies seen. The duration of follow-up ranged from 1 week to 3 years (average 6 weeks). Approximately 70 percent of the foreign bodies could be removed in either the office or the emergency room. The foreign bodies were removed anywhere from the day of injury to 20 years later. In 38 percent of the patients the diagnosis was missed by the initial treating physician, in many cases because a roentgenography of the injured area was not taken. Metal was visible in all of the radiographic studies obtained, glass in 96 percent, and wood in just 15 percent.