Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
A skull fracture is a break in one or more of the eight bones that form the cranial portion of the skull, usually occurring as a result of blunt force trauma.If the force of the impact is excessive, the bone may fracture at or near the site of the impact and cause damage to the underlying structures within the skull such as the membranes, blood vessels, and brain.
Decompressive craniectomy (crani-+ -ectomy) is a neurosurgical procedure in which part of the skull is removed to allow a swelling or herniating brain room to expand without being squeezed. It is performed on victims of traumatic brain injury , stroke , Chiari malformation , and other conditions associated with raised intracranial pressure .
Currently, the procedure is performed for both cosmetic and functional purposes. Cranioplasty can restore the normal shape of the skull and prevent other complications caused by a sunken scalp, such as the "syndrome of the trephined". [3] Cranioplasty is a risky operation, with potential risks such as bacterial infection and bone flap ...
It is typically caused by a basilar skull fracture, which presents complications such as infection. It may be diagnosed using brain scans (prompted based on initial symptoms), and by testing to see if discharge from the nose is cerebrospinal fluid. Treatment may be conservative (as many cases resolve spontaneously), but usually involves ...
Infections that can follow skull fractures and penetrating injuries include meningitis and abscesses. [92] Complications involving the blood vessels include vasospasm , in which vessels constrict and restrict blood flow, the formation of aneurysms , in which the side of a vessel weakens and balloons out, and stroke.
A basilar skull fracture typically requires a significant degree of trauma to occur. [1] It is defined as a fracture of one or more of the temporal, occipital, sphenoid, frontal or ethmoid bone. [1] Basilar skull fractures are divided into anterior fossa, middle fossa and posterior fossa fractures. [1] Facial fractures often also occur. [1]
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force released a draft recommendation advising against using vitamin D to prevent falls and fractures in people over 60. Pharmacist Katy Dubinsky weighs in.
A catastrophic injury is a severe injury to the spine, spinal cord, or brain. [1] It may also include skull or spinal fractures. [2] This is a subset of the definition for the legal term catastrophic injury, which is based on the definition used by the American Medical Association.