Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was shot in the shin on Thursday, November 3 when his anti-government protest convoy came under attack in what his aides said was an assassination attempt by his rivals. Khan, ousted as prime minister in a parliamentary confidence vote in April, was standing and waving to thousands of cheering supporters from the roof of a container truck, when the shots rang out. There was a lot of bleeding, according to a spokesperson. He was brought to the Lahore hospital where initial scans and x-rays showed bullet fragments in Khan’s leg.

A gunshot wound to the limb may cause damage to your bones, ligaments, or tendons. It can also damage muscles, nerves, or blood vessels.

In the United States, it is estimated that there are 90 guns for every 100 citizens. It is therefore perhaps not surprising that gunshot wounds (GSW) are among the leading causes of injury. It is estimated that gunshot wounds affect the foot around five percent of the time.

A study published in 2015 by Cosco and King showed the epidemiology of podiatric self-inflicted wounds in the United States. Those who shot themselves in the foot were significantly more likely than individuals with other firearm-related injuries to be male and married. As the festive season approached, there was an increase in the number of incidents, with November and December being the peak months for shooting oneself on the foot.

The foot has numerous anatomical and biomechanical features that make it unique in terms of gunshot wound injury and management. Unlike injuries to the long bones and other joints, low-velocity GSWs to the foot often result in significant morbidity. The bone to soft tissue ratio in the foot is high, and more than 80% of GSWs to the foot result in bone injury with significant damage to the surrounding neurovascular structures, predisposing to complications.

Though most people experience nonfatal gunshot wounds to the feet, the leading cause of death in GSWs is bleeding. Gunshot wounds always need medical attention to assess their severity and begin treatment.

If you are ever injured, stepped on a nail, shot in the foot, fall down a ladder putting up hurricane shutters or have any foot emergency, Family Foot and Leg Center, PA doctors can handle your problem. Call (239) 430-3668  or  www.naplespodiatrist.com/offices/   to schedule your appointment fully online.