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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 ...
Bone healing, or fracture healing, is a proliferative physiological process in which the body facilitates the repair of a bone fracture. Generally, bone fracture treatment consists of a doctor reducing (pushing) displaced bones back into place via relocation with or without anaesthetic, stabilizing their position to aid union, and then waiting ...
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]
A penetrating head injury, or open head injury, is a head injury in which the dura mater, the outer layer of the meninges, is breached. [1] Penetrating injury can be caused by high-velocity projectiles or objects of lower velocity such as knives, or bone fragments from a skull fracture that are driven into the brain.
Fractures of the nose, base of the skull, or maxilla may be associated with profuse nosebleeds. [1] Nasal fractures may be associated with deformity of the nose, as well as swelling and bruising. [2] Deformity in the face, for example a sunken cheekbone or teeth which do not align properly, suggests the presence of fractures.