What types of puncture wounds occur?
Most puncture wounds to the sole are associated with accidentally misdirected shoeing nails, shoeing or construction nails which have been picked up in bedding, at exercise or turnout, or pieces of wire. Other causes of penetration include sharp flint stones, pieces of glass, needles, splinters of wood, etc. Simple puncture wounds and nail pricks will result in haemorrhage into the sensitive tissues of the foot but depending on the size of the puncture there may or may not be signs of blood present on the solar surface of the foot. The area of penetration of the sole is of great importance. If the nail is still in the wound, it is easy to see where the puncture actually occurred. Simple puncture wounds result in bruising and often secondary infection of the tissues and subsequent abscess formation, but deeper structures are usually not involved. The further away from the hoof wall that the puncture occurs, the higher the risk that the injury may have damaged the underlying pedal bone.
