Air gun pellet injuries of the hand.

The purpose of this paper is to report our experience in a group of patients who suffered injuries by air gun pellets to the hand. There were 22 males and 2 females, with a mean age of 12 years. The pellet was embedded in the hand in 18 patients and it went through and through in the remaining six. There were no vascular injuries. Associated injuries to tendon, nerve or bone occurred in six patients. There was little soft-tissue devitalization and none of the fractures required fixation or splinting. Immediate postoperative mobilization resulted in full range of motion in all patients. In conclusion, pellets produce a different injury pattern, with a more benign course, than other types of bullet injury.