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CHAPTER 13 III The Wing: Gunshots 137

A
Figure 13-3 • A, Orientation and close-up (B) ventrodorsal oblique projections of an owl shot in the left shoulder by a high-velocity bullet
reveal a shattered humeral joint in which the proximal scapula, coracoid, and humerus have all been fractured and, to various extents,

dislocated. All that remains of the bullet are a few flecks of metal in and around the shoulder joint (B). The needlelike object in the left tibia
is an intramedullary catheter (C) used to administer injectables.
Continued

Generally, the bulk of a rifle bullet passes completely on a sandbar, was hit in the right shoulder by a rock

through a bird, leaving only a series of small fragments thrown from the shore (Figure 13-5).
in its wake, especially in and around fractured Homemade or commercial slingshots, loaded either
bone (Figure 13-3). The enormous kinetic energy that with small rocks, ball bearings, or purpose-built ammu-
builds up in high-velocity bullets typically causes the nition, are capable of causing serious injury, with head-
bone to shatter on impact, which is particularly devas- shots often proving fatal.
tating when it occurs in or around a joint (Figure
13-4).
Wound Debris
Raptors hunting the northern logging roads are subject
Other Missile-Related Fractures
to being struck by vehicles and, in the process, hurled
Occasionally, we tend to birds that have sustained a to the densely packed gravel surfaces where their
fracture as a result of being hit by a rock as reported wounds become readily contaminated. When radio-
by an eyewitness. Based on such accounts and some- graphed, embedded gravel may be confused with frac-
what surprisingly, an adult is just as likely to have ture fragments, and for this reason it is best to remove

inflicted the injury as a juvenile. In the example pro- as much of the road debris as practical before radio-
vided, an immature seagull, part of a large fl ock resting graphing the bird (Figure 13-6).

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