title: Orbital "shanking": a unique prison injury.
abstract: The purpose of this paper is to describe orbitocranial penetration due to "shanking", a common mode of assault in prison facilities. We report the case of a prisoner who presented with orbital apex syndrome 5 days after an assault. He died 9 days after surgical removal of the "shank" due to a presumed ruptured traumatic aneurysm. Physicians who evaluate prisoners must maintain a high index of suspicion for penetrating injuries. The entrance site is often inconspicuous and the history may be limited in this unique population.
authors.affiliation: William H. Havener Eye Center, Department of Ophthalmology, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
authors.forename: Todd E.
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Whitaker
authors.forename: Steven E.
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lubow