Injuries of peripheral nerves occur in wounds due to Projectiles of high velocity with great frequency, and their successful treatment is of the highest importance in the prevention of permanent disabilities of the most serious kind.. It may be said at once that we are not yet in a position to make positive statements as to what the ultimate results of nerve injuries and the operations undertak...

A 22-year-old man presented with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the left neck. The rifle used was a .22 caliber filled with multiple small bird-shot pellets . Medical history was noncontributory. Physical examination showed an 8-mm diameter entrance wound in the left posterior oral cavity without active bleeding. Powder burns were present. No exit wound was identified. Except for mild left n...

BACKGROUND High velocity gunshot-related fracture is associated with massive soft tissue damage and severe comminution at the fracture site. This unique type of open fracture presents a serious challenge to the orthopedic traumatologist. METHODS The study was conducted prospectively involving patients who presented to the Accident and Emergency Department of the Bone and Joint Surgery Hospita...

BACKGROUND Uncertainty still exists regarding the treatment of the patients presenting with gunshot wounds to the spine. Neurological insults, cerebrospinal fluid fistula, infection, lead or copper toxicity, migration of bullets, and spinal instability are included among the common challenging issues. CASE DESCRIPTION An 18-year-old woman was admitted with low back pain following a gunshot in...

AIM Traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by a gunshot wound is a complex injury with a broad spectrum of symptoms and high rates of mortality and morbidity. This study presents an evaluation of TBI caused by gunshot wounds presenting at a single institution and discusses possible predictive factors for the outcome of surgical intervention. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study sample consisted of 442...

OBJECTIVE A recent study (Lemaire) estimated the life expectancy loss attributable to gun deaths at 103.6 days for the overall U.S. population: 150.7 days for white males and 361.5 days for black males. This study estimates the life expectancy loss attributable to the premature death of individuals who initially survived gun-related traumatic brain injury (TBI) and spinal cord injury (SCI) in t...

As nonfatal firearm-related injuries continue to increase, calculating the financial cost these injuries have on an urban trauma center may help justify funding for intervention programs. The impact these injuries have on orthopedic resident education may lead to changes in the training of some urban-based programs. This is a retrospective review of patients with an acute firearm-related injury...

When it comes to firearm fatalities, the main goal of forensic analysis is to distinguish firearm suicides from homicides and accidents. Apart from the location of the entrance wound, wound path trajectory and gunshot residue, blood stain pattern analysis of gunshot-related backspatter on the hands of the victim can be an essential tool not only to determine which hand was holding the firearm, ...

BACKGROUND Trauma information systems are needed to improve decision making and to identify potential areas of intervention. OBJECTIVE To describe the first year of experience with a trauma registry in two referral centers in southwest Colombia. METHODS The study was performed in two referral centers in Cali. Patients with traumatic injuries seen between January 1 and December 31, 2012, wer...

Background: Gunshot injury of ureter is common, but isolated injury of pelvi-ureteric junction (PUJ) has not been reported. Moreover, its management is evolving from the traditional urinary diversion, stenting followed later by definitive surgical repair to a more upfront minimally invasive endourologic approach. Case Presentation: An adolescent boy presented with gunshot laceration injury of l...