Abstract
Blunt trauma injuries are typically a result of motor vehicle crashes but can occur with any direct blow to the head or neck, strangulation, sports-related incidents, and manipulation of the spine. The majority of penetrating neck wounds are a result of guns and knives, with motor vehicle crashes and industrial and household accidents making up the remainder. Vascular injuries of the neck in blunt and penetrating trauma are an important determiner of morbidity and mortality and can occur through a variety of mechanisms, from direct transection, to shearing of blood vessels from hyperextension of the cervical spine, to disruption by fractures.