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Penetrating foreign bodies
Appearances on plain radiographs
Glass
All glass is radio-opaque. Visibility of glass is not dependent on its lead content1,2.
The radiographic density of the different types of glass does vary. Imaging technique is important. A soft tissue exposure is essential.
Zooming on a digital image is often necessary, otherwise very small fragments are easily overlooked.
Metal
Most metals are radio-opaque. A notable exception is aluminium.
Wood or plastic
Only occasionally will wood be visualised3–5. A splinter might be well defined on a radiograph if the fragment has paint on its surface.
Why is wood almost non-opaque on a radiograph?
In clinical practice it is best to assume that all splinters, thorns, and fragments of plastic will be non-opaque on a radiograph.
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