Vol 65, No 2 (2006)
Original article
Published online: 2006-03-09
The most common anatomical sites of arterial injury in the extremities: a review of 75 angiographically-proven cases
Folia Morphol 2006;65(2):116-120.
Abstract
The incidence of vascular injury has increased worldwide. In an attempt to quantitate
the specific arteries most commonly involved in the extremities, we reviewed
75 patients with extremity trauma who were evaluated with angiography
(DSA, digital subtraction angiography). The majority of these injuries were
related to motor vehicle accidents (93.3%). The mean age of these patients was
28.16 ± 11.14 years, 94.7% of these patients being male. The ratio of upper to
lower extremity arterial trauma was 12 to 86. A total of 99 arterial injuries were
detected angiographically. Simultaneous injuries to two and three extremity arteries
were identified in 13.3% and 9.3% of patients respectively. The most
common arteries injured were the anterior tibial, femoral, peroneal, and popliteal
arteries. Associated fractures were present in 86.7% of patients. These data may
prove useful to the clinician who evaluates post-traumatic injuries of the extremities.
Keywords: motor vehicle accidentlimbvesselstraumavariation