%0 Journal Article
%T A report of 18 blackthorn injuries of the upper limb
%J Injury
%D 2004
%A Sharma, Himanshu
%A Meredith, A. D.
%V 35
%N 9
%P 930-935
%X This study aims to analyse various manifestations and to evaluate the clinical outcome in the patients who had exploratory procedures following blackthorn (Prunus spinosus) injury. We performed a retrospective review of a consecutive series of 18 patients admitted between April 1997 and March 2001 to a District General Hospital of the UK. In all the cases, the site of injury was the upper limb. The mean age at presentation was 39.1 years. There was a male predominance (83.33%) and a marginal right side preponderance. The majority of the patients (83.33%) presented between March and August, which correlates with hedge-cutting time. The mean delay in presentation was 3 days (range: 1-14 days). The final postoperative outcome was satisfactory in all cases. We conclude that conservative treatment alone failed to resolve the symptoms. We recommend that all patients presenting with a history of blackthorn injury should undergo an immediate and thorough exploration to avoid undue complications.
%G 
%I Elsevier Publishing
%@ 0020-1383
%U http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.injury.2003.09.041