injury

The damage or wound of trauma. [L. injuria, fr. in- neg. + jus (jur-), right]

- blast i. tearing of lung tissue or rupture of any tissue or organ without external i., as by the force of an explosion.

- brachial plexus i. damage to the brachial plexus related to delivery; associated with excessive lateral stretching of the head, typically in cases of shoulder dystocia or breech deliveries. SEE ALSO: brachial birth palsy.

- closed head i. a head i. in which continuity of the scalp and mucous membranes is maintained.

- contrecoup i. of brain an i. occurring beneath the skull opposite to the area of impact.

- coup i. of brain an i. occurring directly beneath the skull at the area of impact.

- current of i. See current of i..

- degloving i. avulsion of the skin of a portion of the body (most commonly on the extremities) in which the part is skeletonized by removal of most or all of the skin and subcutaneous tissue.

- egg-white i. SYN: egg-white syndrome.

- flexion-extension i. forceful application of a forward and backward movement of the unsupported head that may produce an i. to the cervical spine or the brain.

- hyperextension-hyperflexion i. violence to the body causing the unsupported head to move rapidly backward and forward resulting in hyperextension and hyperflexion of the neck; does not imply any specific resultant trauma or pathology.

- i. of intervertebral disk traumatic cervical discopathy.

- open head i. a head i. in which there is a loss of continuity of scalp or mucous membranes; the term is sometimes used to indicate a communication between the exterior and the intracranial cavity. SEE ALSO: penetrating wound.

- pneumatic tire i. separation of the skin and subcutaneous tissue from the underlying fascia, classically occurring when an extremity is crushed and rolled over by the tire of a vehicle; however, it may be incurred through other mechanisms that produce shear forces; similar to a degloving i., except that the skin and subcutaneous tissue layers remain in continuity.

- reperfusion i. myocardial impairment, usually with arrhythmia, following the opening of arterial blockage and considered to be due to oxygen-derived free radicals.

- steering wheel i. trauma to the anterior chest wall caused by impact with the steering wheel during an automobile accident; can include fractured sternum and ribs, cardiac contusion, tear of the aorta or other great vessels, as well as lung injuries.

- whiplash i. popular term for flexion-extension i..

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in·ju·ry 'inj-(ə-)rē n, pl -ries hurt, damage, or loss sustained

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in·ju·ry (inґjə-re) [L. injuria] harm or hurt; usually applied to damage inflicted on the body by an external force. Called also trauma and wound.