Traumatic arterial spasm is a phenomenon that has long been questioned by clinicians. Indeed, some would argue that surgical exploration is mandatory whenever there are signs of distal ischaemia following limb trauma. We present a case of angiographically demonstrated tibial artery spasm following gunshot injury. Exploration was unnecessary and distal perfusion was reestablished spontaneously. This case demonstrates the existence of traumatic arterial spasm as a genuine clinical entity and suggests that immediate surgical exploration may not be necessary in all cases.
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