Are there any nurses / medical people here? What is this? *Warning, photo attached

[WhateverTheWeather22]

My DS age 10 fell over today on some gravel and cut just below his right knee. This cut is about the size of a 5p piece.

what is the white thing? I thought it was originally gravel so in a bath to clean him up, we tried to extract it with tweezers. It became apparent it is definitely attached so I’m pretty sure this isn’t a foreign object. It didn’t soften like dead skin would. It’s sinewy- could it be tendons/ ligaments? The wound is just below his knee.

I’m still not 100% sure if there is a tiny bit of gravel left in there. I’ll see how it is in the morning. Just interested if anyone could tell me what this actually is!

Don’t wait till morning take him to a DR

Can’t see the picture yet, but the area around the knee is packed with ligaments and tendons - just under the skin - it’s likely that that you’re looking at!

Take him to A&E or minor injuries unit if you have one near by. I wouldn't leave this.

At on earth would you not be taking him to urgent care?!

I haven’t taken him to A&E because I dont think it’s that urgent, he’s fine in himself and walking around. Plus he’s only just got home and shown me. it’s not life threatening and our A&E wait time was 11 hours recently. Walk in centre re-opens tomorrow.

He has an open wound (infection risk) with what could be a tendon or ligament coming out of it. But sure. That’s not a worthwhile use of the NHS 🙄

This is why there are long waits in A&E I’m with you @WhateverTheWeather22 if he is not in pain and is moving ok clean the wound and cover it to prevent infection and go to the walk in tomorrow.

Up to you, op, but I wouldn’t leave that til tomorrow 😬

Open opens can lead to sepsis

Do you have a minor injuries unit instead ? They deal with things like this.

Call 111 OP if you’re not keen to go to A&E now. You need to get some clinical advice.

Our son had similar and the doctor said it was fat poking out - wouldn't have imagined his skinny knees could have fat under the skin! Anyway, whilst in the olden days we just left them to heal, nowadays they put a couple of stitches in. Explains why my knees are so scarred whereas my children's just have some neat white lines on.

That is a fairly deep wound and with that tendon/ligament sticking out it needs seeing now.

Wtf OP! I work in a hospital and he needs that looking at straight away, it looks like a tendon or cartilage sticking out!

if you haven't already, you need to get advice from a real life HCP this evening really. You don't want to be waiting for an infection to develop and then reacting when it's that close to a big joint. Could be wrong because the pics aren't great, but I don't think it looks like fat. (fwiw am a doctor, but not one in a terribly useful specialty)

Possibly fat, definitely needs checked out but walk in first thing tomorrow is fine.

There are long waits in A&E because of Tory underfunding, social care falling apart, GPs refusing to see patients and treat them properly, and an unhealthy society. Not because of a child having an injury assessed!

Sorry but find this sort of thing fascinating 😂 can you please update once he’s been seen?! And I hope he is okay!

I know! When I realised it was connecting to something I was absolutely fascinated. It wasn’t hurting him, and I haven’t gone prodding around anymore but I’ve done some googling and it’s definitely a connective something or other. We are going to the walk in first thing tomorrow to get it checked

thanks for everyone’s view - very interesting. Personally no it’s not the sort of thing I’d go to A&E for at all. I’m fairly certain they won’t do anything but I will take him to be looked at by a professional.

Looks more like a bit of skin that's still attached.

It looks fairly superficial.

It could be an exposed tendon. Keep it clean and covered tonight and take to an emergency care centre tomorrow

If that was tendon he’d be in a lot more pain walking round. I’d probably wash the wound with water. Dab with tcp and take him to minor injuries in the morning

Fat would be more yellow tinged and lobed in appearance. I work in theatres and see lots of subcutaneous fat even in skinny people.

You could more chuck millions at the NHS & it wouldn’t help. People going to A&E when they don’t need to HAS had a big impact. Most people at A&E shouldn’t be there.

I

I’ve had a worse looking cut than this from my elbow to my wrist when I fell off a scooter. Just patched it myself and I lived to tell the tale. When I was 14 I might add. I’d say clean and cover and to a walk in tomorrow, we are lucky enough where I live to have a kids A&e which is usually 1 hour waiting time max, but no way I’d be taking a kid to wait 11 hours in A&E when a walk in and urgent care would most likely be suffice enough. Unless they tell you otherwise.