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Musculoskeletal and Sports Medicine

This Case Report, Rocks!: The Surprising Aftermath of a Softball-Related Knee Injury

Thursday, October 23, 2025
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM MT
Location: Open Kiosks

    Poster Presenter(s)

  • David J. Park, Other

    Medical Student
    California Northstate University College of Medicine
    Elk Grove, California

    • Primary Author(s)

  • Hannah Park, Other

    Medical Student
    California Northstate University, College of Medicine
    Elk Grove, California

    • Co-Author(s)

  • CN

    Camille Ng, Other

    Medical Student
    California Northstate University College of Medicine
    Sherman Oaks, California

  • SP

    Sarah J. Preiss-Farzanegan, MD

    Assistant Professor
    California Northstate University College of Medicine
    El Dorado Hills, California

Disclosure(s):
David J. Park, Other: No financial relationships to disclose
Hannah Park, Other: No financial relationships to disclose
Case Diagnosis: Knee laceration with soft tissue damage and wound contamination.

Case Description or Program Description: A 24-year-old woman with no significant medical history presented to the emergency department after sustaining a fall during a softball game, in which her left knee collided with the edge of a base. She was unable to bear weight. Exam revealed a 12 x 5 cm laceration below the left patella, with skin displacement and exposed subcutaneous fat. The patient received a tetanus shot, underwent digital wound exploration, followed by saline irrigation. Knee x-rays were unremarkable. The patient was treated with 12 sutures and discharged with crutches and antibiotics.

Setting: Urban, high-volume emergency care facility

Assessment/Results: Sutures were removed one month post-injury. An MRI without contrast showed a longitudinal magnetic susceptibility area in the skin and superficial subcutaneous tissues of the anterior knee. The scan was unremarkable for fractures, bone contusions, or internal knee derangements. The patient received a corticosteroid injection and completed 6 physical therapy sessions. Nine months later, a 1 cm x 1 cm inflamed area developed approximately 8 cm below the original injury site. Upon incision, 3 rock fragments were extracted. Over a year later, the patient regained full range of motion in the knee but remained unable to bear direct patellar pressure.

Discussion (relevance): It was suspected that the patient’s laceration resulted from an improperly exposed base anchor, emphasizing the importance of thorough equipment inspections in softball and baseball. The discovery of rock debris months later further underscores the need for proper wound cleaning at the time of injury. In this case, digital exploration before irrigation inadvertently drove debris deeper into the wound, contributing to prolonged inflammation.

Conclusions: This case underscores the importance of effective sports safety measures and proper wound management in preventing complications and promoting optimal healing.