Article Text
Abstract
Bicycles are a common cause of blunt abdominal trauma causing 5%–14% of injuries. However, impalement or shear injuries from low-velocity mechanism of injury are rare. We report a case of a 14-year-old boy presenting with an extensive left groin injury sustained while cycling one-handed along the pavement at walking pace. The laceration ran for 12–14 cm from the left groin across the pubis to the right and 10 cm inferiorly into the perineum. This inverted the left scrotum and partially degloved the penis. The corpus cavernosa and tunica vaginalis were exposed up to the level of the superficial inguinal ring. Literature on handlebar-impalement injuries is sparse and the majority of penile degloving injuries described in the literature result from alternative mechanisms. This unusual case demonstrates the potential forces involved, and potential damage resulting from handlebar injuries even at low velocity.
- paediatrics (drugs and medicines)
- trauma
- accidents, injuries
- preventative pediatrics
- paediatric surgery
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Footnotes
Contributors HT: drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content. OB: substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work, or the acquisition, analysis or interpretation of data. KL: final approval of the version published. HT, OB and KL: agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.
Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
Competing interests None declared.
Patient consent for publication Obtained.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.