One in the eye for an orthopaedic surgeon

Despite many reports of injuries to surgeons during operative procedures, there is no record of an eye injury caused by a foreign body. Orthopaedic surgeons are particularly vulnerable to such injury. An instance in which a penetrating eye injury occurred while hammering a rasp into the femur during a hip replacement is described. There is a potential oblique trajectory for a foreign body to reach the eye from the operative field despite the use of a visor for eye protection.