Blunt force trauma

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In medical terminology, blunt force trauma or blunt trauma is a type of physical trauma caused by impact or other force applied from or with a blunt object. Blunt force trauma, in one form or another, is the most common type of injury sustained by humans, and is a broad term covering more specific trauma: generally contusions, abrasions, lacerations, and/or bone fracture.

Contents

1 Contusions
2 Abrasions
3 Lacerations
4 Implications of blunt force trauma
5 See also
6 References

Contusions

Contusions, or bruises, are indications of broken blood vessels caused by a blow or pressure. This type of injury can be caused without breaking the skin. In forensic pathology, the form of surface bruises can convey important information about the circumstances of the injury to a trained observer. Although contusions often occur near the surface of the skin, deep tissue damage is also possible, even without visible indications of hemorrhaging.

Some examples of injury causing contusions could be a blow from a fist or baseball bat, a fall from a chair, or a forceful squeeze from a hand.

Abrasions

An abrasion is scraping damage to the skin, resulting in removal of superficial skin layers over an area. Different types of abrasions may be called grazes, scratches, or brush burns (caused by friction). Depending on the nature of the injury, the exact cause of the abrasion may not be apparent or its appearance may be deceiving, so that microscopic examination may be required to discover the mechanism of its cause.

Some examples of injury causing abrasions could be scraping against a brick wall, a glancing blow from a blunt object, a hand touching a rapidly spinning wheel, or a skinned knee from a bicycle accident.

Lacerations

Blunt force trauma can cause laceration, or tearing of tissue. The most common types of lacerations are caused by perpendicular or glancing blows with blunt objects. Depending on its severity, a laceration may tear only the external layers of skin, or may involve subcutaneous tissue separation. An impact from a blunt object can potentially tear deep tissue or internal organs while leaving little evidence at the level of the skin.

Some examples of injury causing lacerations could be glancing blows from a rough stone, or a fist blow to the cheek.

Implications of blunt force trauma

Blunt force trauma can cause death if sufficiently severe. Serious internal injuries may occur without significant signs of external injury, including lacerated or torn internal organs and tissue. Cardiac concussion, or a heavy blow to the region of the heart, can cause cardiac arrest.

The type of trauma sustained varies greatly depending on the region of the body affected by the force; for example, head injuries caused by blunt force are greatly different from those sustained to the soft abdomen, which has no underlying bone.

References

Corey, T. S. "Blunt Injury". In Encyclopedia of Forensic and Legal Medicine, Jason Payne-James, Roger W. Byard, Tracey S. Corey, Carol Henderson, editors. Elsevier Academic Press, Oxford, 2005. ISBN 0-12-547970-0.
Spitz, Werner U. "Blunt Force Injury". In Spitz and Fisher's Medicolegal Investigation of Death, Werner U. Spitz, editor. Charles C. Thomas, Springfield, Illinois, 1993. ISBN 0-398-05818-0.