I got a (glass) implant a few days ago and have some concerns about the injection site.
When I stretch my hand the tendon is almost against the implant (which follows the direction of my index finger). I don’t have any real pain except for the wound, but I am worried about possible strain on my tendon in the long run with repeated movement.
Edit: marked the implant
In my experience, all my glassies have migrated near a tendon and then settled in to it’s comfy spot next to it. I do have an xG3 that rolls over my index tendon, and I can even pop it over my middle finger’s tendon on occasion lol
It was sore for a bit after install, and I thought there might be an issue with the xG3’s position, but it settled in and doesn’t even feel uncomfortable when it rolls over a tendon.
I’ll post a vid, just excuse my cat’s affection.
I see the injection site, but where is the implant? Can you annotate a pic?
Usually, if it doesn’t hurt then it’s ok. If the implant pushes/rubs against something then it will move into a spot of least resistance naturally.
Of course if you ever get pain or a sign of inflammation then you should act but currently it looks ok.
Why did you install in such an angle though? Why not the usual parallel to the bones?
Okay, I do feel like the end is over the tendon when moving my thumb in a specific way.
Would it be a good idea to try and push it further away from my thumb now that it is still healing?
As for the angle, this was my first install. I went to a piercer who wanted to do it in this direction (from thumb to index instead of vice versa) to avoid veins. Not sure if the angle was intentional / what the reasoning was.
Congrats on your install! Okay so it’s not the end of the wold. You can “fix” the implant with some medical tape and some lollie pop sticks. I see the implant is very close to the puncture wound. It’s not the most comfy thing in the world but it will help to move away from the tendon. Also as previously mentioned x series glassies can be moved aka migrated if pushed hard enough, but then you have to secure them. Also make sure to do your homework when looking for a person to do the install. it really helps afterwards. As a matter of fact my both implants were parallel to the metacarpal bone, but since there is a muscle called adductor pollicis it pushed them slightly.
Could you clarify what you mean by “fix” with some medical tape and some lollie pop sticks?
Possibly similar to this, creating a boundary of sorts on your skin to prevent the chip from moving.
Personally I don’t have a problem with it moving if it’s still in its early stages as that’ll happen while you use your muscles but if you want to make any “big” adjustments, the sooner the better.
Push the implant to desired location. Might feel slight discomfort or pain when doing so. Next secure it with a barrier made of lollie pop stick and put some med tape on top. You can cut the lollie pop stick to desired length.
Installed a firefly atop two tendons in my distal forearm about 7 years ago. Kinda just nestled in and found a place with no issues.
If there’s no pain, I wouldn’t be too worried. They find their place.
just an FYI if you weren’t aware
Let’s hope it settles then. I managed to push it away from the tendon, but it is not really possible to keep it in that position. I guess I’ll see how it evolves in a few days. Your implant and the one by @invalid_signal are reassuring, but I guess it helps if the implant runs along parallel to the tendon. Might try twisting it instead.
I appreciate the warning. Definitely heard a lot about the issues with the v2.
I haven’t elected to have my v1 removed, but definitely wouldn’t recommend anyone install one if they were to find one lying about.
Who performed the installation? The incision site being so close to the tendon is a concern for safety… it would have been pretty easy to nick the tendon going in at that particular spot in the hand.
As for the location of the implant, my primary concern is proximity to bone. The tendon runs over top of the bone there, so would you say the implant is attempting to settle over top of the bone such that an impact to the hand at that point might pinch the implant between the bone and whatever is impacting the hand?
I will pm you the details. I was also slightly concerned about tendons, but asked about it and was told it was okay. The skin was lifted while inserting the needle, so I don’t think any tendons were nicked. As for bone, I think the only way the implant could get pinched is vertically when my hand is laying flat. The last pictures in my post show the orientation of the implant (it starts pretty much at the incision site), the implant is also quite close to the surface.
What would you advise me to do?
Thanks for the DM / info.
I think if you’re confident that the chip won’t get pinched across your thumb bone then it should be ok.
If you have any indication of inflammation or swelling or pain at the injection site or anywhere along your tendon then immediately go to the doctor. Otherwise, you should be fine.
