Self-inflicted wrist laceration is a common injury in the department of hand surgery. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics and psychiatric features of self-inflicted wrist laceration using categorization according to wound severity.

We reviewed 71 patients from 2002 through 2012. All of the patients were grouped into four groups. Data regarding the following characteristics were collected: age, gender, size, structure involved, instruments used, history of previous self-inflicted injury, comorbidities in psychiatric and presentation of follow-up outpatient appointment to the department of plastic surgery and psychiatry.

In these patients, approximately 64% of patients were female. About 80% of patients cut their wrist using a knife. And in grade 3-4 injury, percentage of glass injury was relatively high (22%), compared with other grades (3%). Unlike previous studies, patients in grade 3-4 tended to cut their wrist repeatedly. Focusing on psychiatric problems, approximately one quarter of patients had a previous history of self-infliction. In all patient groups, mood disorder was the most common disorder in patients who had a previous psychiatric disorder. But after operation, more than two thirds of patients had not visited department of psychiatry again.

We identified some other differences among their characteristics. All patients in group also should be evaluated and surgically treated properly. A multidisciplinary approach is required for patients with wrist laceration due to self-injury in comparison to those with laceration due to other causes. Because many of them have previous self-injury experiences and psychiatric disease.