The Association Between Skull Bone Fractures and Outcomes in Patients With Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

Abstract

This study shows that skull bone fracture is a mortality risk factor for patients with isolated severe blunt TBI.

The neuropathology of traumatic brain injury

“…Furthermore, 20–30% of fatal head injuries are not associated with a fractured skull. A patient with a skull fracture following TBI is significantly more likely to have subarachnoid, subdural, or epidural hemorrhage (Tseng et al, 2011). Fractures of the base of the skull often involve the middle ear or anterior cranial fossa with leakage of spinal fluid from the ear (otorrhea) or nose (rhinorrhea) and cranial nerve damage.…”

Analysis of the Role of CX3CL1 (Fractalkine) and Its Receptor CX3CR1 in Traumatic Brain and Spinal Cord Injury: Insight into Recent Advances in Actions of Neurochemokine Agents

“…Therefore, as regards primary injury, we can distinguish blunt TBI/SCI resulting from an external mechanical force and a rapid acceleration/deceleration, penetrating TBI/SCI which occurs by damaging the continuity of neural tissue by a ballistic object, and blast TBI/SCI resulting from different shock waves, e.g., acoustic, electromagnetic, light, and thermal waves or their combination, which are responsible for diffuse function disorders and neural tissue destruction [1–4, 29, 30]. The macrostructural image of primary injury includes contusion and edema of the neural tissue, discontinuation of meninges, concomitant fractures and dislocations of cranial and spinal bones, injuries and dislocations of ligamentous structures, and the development of intra- and extra-axial hemorrhages both in the brain and in the spinal cord [1, 31–33]. The effect of the primary injury is additionally strengthened by the dislocation and compression of edematous neural tissue by damaged osseous and ligamentous structures, hematomas, and also by possible compression of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cisterns which significantly influences the increase in intracranial pressure (ICP) and intraspinal pressure (ISP) [32–37].…”

Traumatic skull fractures in children and adolescents: A retrospective observational study

“…Skull fracture is a mortality risk factor for patients with isolated severe blunt TBI [16][17][18]. To control the incidence of TSKF, it is important to identify risk factors and promote accident prevention, making sure that all children with TSKF have appropriate, targeted and timely investigations, avoiding missed and delayed diagnoses, and starting the treatment as early as possible.…”