Stabbed through the foot

There is a doctor in the house. Where's Colorado Guy when you need him?!

"Through" as in all the way through? Where? IN the middle of the instep? Closer to the toes?

Its possible to get a through and through puncture wound, probably NOT without scraping along some bone, and possibly slicing a tendon, which would definitely cause some problems with the toe it was attached to. Bleed to death? Possible, but not likely. Biggest concern with a puncture wound like that would be infection. "Hobble along?" - Ouch, OUCH!

A friend of mine ran a really sharp piece of metal UP though his foot, just barely breaking the skin on the top (near his toes) - back when we were kids playing out in the woods. (Okay, trash dump) Hobbled back home - but I don't know if that counts.

And if you'll pardon the reference, the spikes in the process of crucifixion go all the way through the feet, without 'bleeding' to death. THough there's no 'hobbling home' afterwards.

efreysson said:

I'm going to have a character get stabbed through the foot with a thin-bladed knife, and I could use some medical facts about that kind of wound. Is there a danger of bleeding to death, or can the other characters take their time in getting him to a doctor? Would he be able to hobble along, if he really needed to? And from an optimistic standpoint, what's the least amount of time it might take to heal?

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It depends entirely on what the knife hits on the way through the foot: What does the plot need?

Tell me that and I'll tell you where to stab him

I stuck a very large nail through my foot when I jumped down from an apple tree one time (there was some old boards underneath and I managed to land on one with a barn nail sticking up).

After being called an idiot by my mother, remembering when was the last time I had a tetanus shot, having Methyalate applied none too gently (this was long ago) . . . I was hobbling around fifteen minutes later.

Years ago, I put my foot through a storm window (accidental!) and ended up with a chunk of glass in the ball of my foot. Didn't bleed much, but it hurt. There was a lot of hobbling involved.

For years after, it felt like there was still glass in there. Not pain, but a bit of localized numbness, so your vic may have nerve damage.

(Just thinking about this is making my foot curl up.)

I had a rusty nail go right through my foot at the instep, when I was a kid. It hurt like hell. there was very little bleeding and it was stiff and tender for a week or so. I was also taken to the doctor for a tetanus shot.
If you are writing about a warrior in the middle of a battle, I don't think that sort of wound would even slow him down.
If you want to disable him for some time, stick the knife into the achilles tendon. He'll be hobbled for quite a while, depending on how much damage you want to apply. Don't cut through that tendon. If you do, he'll be crippled for life.

efreysson said:

Well, I just need him to need some medical attention, and to be incapable of further fighting right away.

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Something near the toes would do, then, because it interferes most with walking. It's going to bleed quite a bit, but If it misses the tendons and bones he'll heal rather quickly.

It's going to be extremely painful for him to walk, of course, even if he uses just his heel.