Compliant polyurethane grafts offer a greater degree of compliance match than either ePTFE or Dacron.

Traumatic vascular injury accounts for 4% of admissions to a British Trauma Centre. These patients are severely injured with high mortality and morbidity, and place a significant demand on hospital resources. Integration of vascular services with regional trauma systems will be an essential part of current efforts to improve trauma care in the UK.

This study demonstrates that the majority of patients sustaining NCTH die before hospital admission, with exsanguination and central nervous system disruption contributing to the bulk cause of death. Major arterial and pulmonary hilar injuries are independent predictors of mortality.