This is the first time that I've heard of this troubling teen practice, but it appears as though it is very closely connected with the practice of "cutting." If you would like more information on cutting, see HomeWord's online article, "When Pain is All You Have - Why Teenagers Cut Themselves".

Self-embedding, a disorder where people wound themselves and then place objects in the wound, is an increasing problem among American teens, especially girls, researchers say.

Slated to report their findings recently at the Radiological Society of North America's annual meeting in Chicago, doctors said that ultrasound and other minimally invasive imaging techniques can help guide the removal of these foreign objects from the wounds. This is one of the first-ever reports of self-embedding, the authors said.

Self-embedding disorder is typically done without suicidal intent. Objects are used to puncture the skin or are embedded into the wound after cutting.

In the study, interventional pediatric radiologists used ultrasound and/or fluoroscopic guidance to remove 52 embedded foreign objects from nine teenagers with the disorder. The objects removed included needles, staples, paper clips, glass, wood, plastic, graphite (pencil lead), crayon and stone.

Source: Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/03/AR2008120300957.html