AAOS 12th Edition ECTSI - Chapter 29

anterograde (posttraumatic) amnesia

Inability to remember events after an injury.

axial loading injuries

Injuries in which load is applied along the vertical or longitudinal axis of the spine, which results in load being transmitted along the entire length of the vertebral column; for example, falling from a height and landing on the feet in an upright position.

basilar skull fractures

Fractures that usually occur following diffuse impact to the head (eg, falls, motor vehicle crashes); generally result from extension of a linear fracture to the base of the skull and can be difficult to diagnose with a radiograph.

Battle sign

Bruising behind an ear over the mastoid process that may indicate a skull fracture.

central neurogenic hyperventilation

An abnormal breathing pattern associated with increased ICP that is characterized by deep rapid breathing; this pattern is similar to kussmaul respirations but without an acetone breath odor.

cerebral edema

swelling of the brain

closed head injury

Injury in which the brain has been injured but the skin has not been broken and there is no obvious bleeding.

concussion

A temporary loss or alteration of part or all of the brain's abilities to function without actual physical damage to the brain.

coup-contrecoup injury

A brain injury that occurs when force is applied to the head and energy transmission through brain tissue causes injury on the opposite side of original impact

epidural hematoma

An accumulation of blood between the skull and the dura mater.

eyes-forward position

A head position in which the patient's eyes are looking straight ahead and the head and torso are in line.

four-person log roll

The recommended procedure for moving a patient with a suspected spinal injury from the ground to a long backboard or other spinal precaution device

intervertebral disks

Tough, elastic structures between adjoining vertebrae that act as shock absorbers

intracerebral hemorrhage

bleeding within the brain tissues (parenchyma) itself; also referred to as an intraparenchymal hermatoma

intracranial pressure (ICP)

The pressure within the cranial vault.

involuntary activities

Actions of the body that are not under a person's conscious control.

linear skull fractures

Fractures that commonly occur in the temporoparietal region of the skull and that are not associated with deformities to the skull; account for 80% of skull fractures; also referred to as nondisplaced skull fractures.

meninges

Three distinct layers of tissue that surround and protect the brain and the spinal cord within the skull and the spinal canal.

open head injury

Injury to the head often caused by a penetrating object in which there may be bleeding and exposed brain tissue.

primary (direct) injury

An injury to the brain and its associated structures that is a direct result of impact to the head.

raccoon eyes

Bruising under the eyes that may indicate a skull fracture.

retrograde amnesia

The inability to remember events leading up to a head injury.

secondary (indirect) injury

The after effects of the primary injury; includes abnormal processes such as cerebral edema, increased intracranial pressure, cerebral ischemia and hypoxia, and infection; onset is often delayed following the primary brain injury.

subarachnoid hemorrhage

Bleeding into the subarachnoid space, where the cerebrospinal fluid circulates.

subdural hematoma

An accumulation of blood beneath the dura mater but outside the brain.

traumatic brain injury (TBI)

A traumatic insult to the brain capable of producing physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and vocational changes.

voluntary activities

Actions that we consciously perform, in which sensory input or conscious thought determines a specific muscular activity.