A 22 year-old man presented with a devascularised index finger, which was stuck in a brass threading die (Fig 1). The first impulse of the attending team was to cut through the device to release the finger. However, this was impractical, given the thickness and resilience of the material. A clearer history was taken from the patient and a company representative, giving a better understanding of the device, and an alternative means of removal suggested itself. The device was used to cut threads into screws (Fig 2), so it was possible to unscrew the device gently from the finger under general anaesthesia without further injury to the digit. The finger circulation was still tenuous after removal (Fig 3) but improved after microsurgical repair of the transected digital artery.
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