Case: A fifteen-year-old boy sustained an archery injury when a carbon-fiber arrow shaft embedded in the volar aspect of his left forearm. The shaft was removed, but at a follow-up visit he still felt the sensation of a retained foreign body in the tissue. Although radiographs were negative, ultrasound examination found three foreign bodies of various lengths still located in the soft tissue. Further surgery removed the objects without difficulty.
Conclusion: Ultrasound examination can be a valuable diagnostic tool when radiographs yield inconclusive results after penetrating wounds due to radiolucent foreign bodies.