Uncommon Mechanism of Mangled Extremity; Three Cases of Rope Entanglement Injury of the Lower Leg

ABSTRACT

Rope entanglement injury is a rare entity. Previous reported studies mainly consisted of finger-related injuries. We describe three cases of rope entanglement injury of the lower leg. In the first patient, a belowthe- knee amputation was performed as the primary treatment for unilateral amputated lower limb. In the second patient, a below-the-knee amputation and perineal wound management were simultaneously performed. The third patient had vascular injury combined with internal soft tissue injury without related bone fracture. He suffered serious sequelae from a delay in transfer from a local hospital. Rope entanglement injuries of the lower leg do not present in a consistent manner, and the treatment of accompanying injuries should be considered from an early stage. Care should be taken to ensure that there are no internal injuries missed because the exterior appears to be stable.