Diffuse Axonal Injury
The brain consists of billions of nerve cells located in the gray
matter which communicate with distant nerve cells through long nerve
fibers called axons, composing the white matter. Severe sudden twisting
or torquing of the brain, as occurs in a sudden
acceleration/deceleration - whiplash -- accident, can stretch, twist,
and damage these delicate axonal fibers. Under the microscope the axonal
damage is called Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI). Although diffuse axonal
injury generally results from a severe whiplash injury that renders a
patient comatose, recent studies have shown that diffuse axonal injury
can also occur - but to a lesser degree -- when there has been only
brief loss of consciousness (LOC). Because Diffuse Axonal Injury causes
microscopic damage, it cannot be visualized on CT or MRI scans.
A second method of how the brain can be injured in high speed velocity
change scenarios (a fall from a great height, high speed car accident)
is called “Isotropic Stress.” Whereas diffuse axonal injury involves
the deforming or stretching of the brain tissue, resulting in tearing,
isotropic stress causes damage through a “pulse” or “pressure wave”
that moves through the brain at extraordinarily high speeds. The damage
is caused by a sudden change in the density of the inside of an
individual brain cell. The instant compression causes damage to the
internal structures of the brain cells.
Many of these same types of injuries have been discovered and treated
in veterans returning from the Iraq war. They have often been exposed
to the proximity blast of explosive charges. The pressure or pulse from
the explosion moves through their body and as it move through the
brain it causes damage to the cells. Although many of these soldiers
look “fine” and have no bleeding, they can and will suffer serious
brain injury as a result.
Because of the large number of veterans injured in this way, lots of
research is being done on this type of brain injury at the present time
and there should be studies available for an update on this new
insight into TBI in mid-2008.
Braininjury.com
Monday, December 19, 2011
Closed head injury due to Auto accidents
Closed head injury from car accident
incidents occurs when a victim's head violently impacts some internal
portion of a vehicle, is struck by a moving object during collision, or
strikes any other non-moving object in the course of a motor vehicle
accident. Closed brain injury from car accident incidents results in
damage to the skull, brain, or scalp, but does not penetrate the skull.
Closed head injury from car accident incidents may be difficult to
diagnose because there might not be any visible external injury that
indicates head trauma.
Closed head injury from car accident injuries that results in brain injury is most commonly known as a concussion. A concussion can range from mild to critical in terms of severity. Concussion closed head injury from car accident incidents can result in a temporary loss of consciousness or coma, or symptoms may not appear for some time after the initial trauma. Bleeding and swelling of the brain can occur from this type of closed head injury from car accident incidents when the brain is violently jolted back and forth in the skull upon impact. Even a mild concussion can result in subtle brain damage.
Brain damage in a closed head injury from car accident incidents can have physical, cognitive, and psychological repercussions. The physical characteristics of a closed head injury from car accident incidents can occur immediately following the initial accident or can worsen in the period following the accident. Physical repercussions of a closed head injury can include: headaches, paralysis, coordination difficulty, weakness, sensory problems, nausea, and difficulty sleeping.
Concussion related brain damage in a closed head injury from car accident incidents can also impede on a victim's cognitive abilities. This can greatly affect one's ability to work or attend school following a car accident. Problems with attention and concentration, difficulty with both short and long term memory functions, trouble reasoning and problem solving, and reduced information processing may all be cognitive impairments that develop after a closed head injury from car accident incidents.
The consequences of a closed head injury from car accident incidents can also intrude on a victim's personal relationships and psychological well being. People who have suffered these types of head injuries may experience changes in their personality. Closed head injury from car accident victims may suffer increased irritability, anxiety, and dis-inhibition. These victims may lack adequate coping mechanisms and social skills as a result of their injuries.
Victims who have suffered closed head injury from car accident incidents may be eligible to seek compensation for their damages if the accident was the result of another party's negligence. This liable party may be another driver or it may be the producers, distributors, or repair people responsible for the defective auto parts that caused the car accident. Victims of closed head injury from car accident incidents can seek compensation for medical expenses, loss of income or earning potential, property damage, and pain and suffering.
Closed head injury from car accident injuries that results in brain injury is most commonly known as a concussion. A concussion can range from mild to critical in terms of severity. Concussion closed head injury from car accident incidents can result in a temporary loss of consciousness or coma, or symptoms may not appear for some time after the initial trauma. Bleeding and swelling of the brain can occur from this type of closed head injury from car accident incidents when the brain is violently jolted back and forth in the skull upon impact. Even a mild concussion can result in subtle brain damage.
Brain damage in a closed head injury from car accident incidents can have physical, cognitive, and psychological repercussions. The physical characteristics of a closed head injury from car accident incidents can occur immediately following the initial accident or can worsen in the period following the accident. Physical repercussions of a closed head injury can include: headaches, paralysis, coordination difficulty, weakness, sensory problems, nausea, and difficulty sleeping.
Concussion related brain damage in a closed head injury from car accident incidents can also impede on a victim's cognitive abilities. This can greatly affect one's ability to work or attend school following a car accident. Problems with attention and concentration, difficulty with both short and long term memory functions, trouble reasoning and problem solving, and reduced information processing may all be cognitive impairments that develop after a closed head injury from car accident incidents.
The consequences of a closed head injury from car accident incidents can also intrude on a victim's personal relationships and psychological well being. People who have suffered these types of head injuries may experience changes in their personality. Closed head injury from car accident victims may suffer increased irritability, anxiety, and dis-inhibition. These victims may lack adequate coping mechanisms and social skills as a result of their injuries.
Victims who have suffered closed head injury from car accident incidents may be eligible to seek compensation for their damages if the accident was the result of another party's negligence. This liable party may be another driver or it may be the producers, distributors, or repair people responsible for the defective auto parts that caused the car accident. Victims of closed head injury from car accident incidents can seek compensation for medical expenses, loss of income or earning potential, property damage, and pain and suffering.
Soft tissue injuries due to low impact injuries
A low impact auto accident is generally
defined as an incident that takes place at speeds less than 10 miles
per hour (mph). This type of collision usually causes the least amount
of damage to the vehicles involved. Body injuries can result from any
accident and that includes ones that occur with vehicles going less
than 10 mph. Soft tissue injuries are the most common problem for those
involved in a low impact accident.
A motor vehicle accident that takes place at speeds between under 10 mph often brings about little visible damage to the cars involved. Sometimes due to the fact that minimal damage was done to vehicle the injuries to the people in the vehicles are overlooked. This does not mean that bodily injury did not occur to the passengers during the crash.
While an automobile is built to take a slow 5 to 10 mph crash that is not necessarily true for your body. In a low impact accident a person’s soft tissue can be damaged.The back and neck are the usual problem spots for soft tissue injuries. Soft tissue is basically a person’s ligaments, tendons and muscles. Soft tissue injuries are typically classified as contusions or bruises, sprains or strains.
A contusion is an injury to the soft tissue caused by blunt force. This force produces pooling of blood around the injury causing discoloring of the skin. This is commonly is referred to as a bruise. Bruising can be found in different shapes and colors.
A sprain is an injury to a ligament often brought about by a wrench or twist. A sprain can be a simple sprain, a partial tear or a complete tear. This can happen to various parts of a person’s body during an accident. It is not uncommon for a person to twist in their seat as a vehicle strikes theirs during the incident.
A strain is an injury to the muscle or tendon caused by overuse, force or stretching. The force of the car crash can push on a person’s soft tissue or cause parts to stretch in an abnormal way.Muscles and tendons support your bones. A strain may cause a partial or complete tear in the muscle and tendon combination.
The neck of a car occupant can whip forward causing the most common rear impact injury known as whiplash. General Motors (GM) did a study regarding crashes at speeds below eight mph. GM found, to no surprise, that injuries do occur at such low speeds. The study also showed that whiplash injuries account for more than half of all injuries connected to vehicular accidents.
Although these types of injuries are characteristically classified as minor nearly 30 percent of those hurt in low speed collisions have reported having neck pain up to three years later. This injury is likely to be worse in those that experienced a rear end collision. Depending on the age of the person this injury could cause a permanent disability.
A motor vehicle can take the force of a low speed collision without showing much damage due to the advances car manufacturers have made in the construction of their vehicles. When a collision does occur the force of the accident pushes inertia somewhere and once the automobile has taken part of that energy away the occupants take the rest. These forces are what can cause people bodily harm even in a crash of below 10 mph.Soft tissue injuries can occur to those involved in a low speed impact and though these injuries might be hard to see they exist.
http://www.carinsurance.com/Articles/content123.aspx
A motor vehicle accident that takes place at speeds between under 10 mph often brings about little visible damage to the cars involved. Sometimes due to the fact that minimal damage was done to vehicle the injuries to the people in the vehicles are overlooked. This does not mean that bodily injury did not occur to the passengers during the crash.
While an automobile is built to take a slow 5 to 10 mph crash that is not necessarily true for your body. In a low impact accident a person’s soft tissue can be damaged.The back and neck are the usual problem spots for soft tissue injuries. Soft tissue is basically a person’s ligaments, tendons and muscles. Soft tissue injuries are typically classified as contusions or bruises, sprains or strains.
A contusion is an injury to the soft tissue caused by blunt force. This force produces pooling of blood around the injury causing discoloring of the skin. This is commonly is referred to as a bruise. Bruising can be found in different shapes and colors.
A sprain is an injury to a ligament often brought about by a wrench or twist. A sprain can be a simple sprain, a partial tear or a complete tear. This can happen to various parts of a person’s body during an accident. It is not uncommon for a person to twist in their seat as a vehicle strikes theirs during the incident.
A strain is an injury to the muscle or tendon caused by overuse, force or stretching. The force of the car crash can push on a person’s soft tissue or cause parts to stretch in an abnormal way.Muscles and tendons support your bones. A strain may cause a partial or complete tear in the muscle and tendon combination.
The neck of a car occupant can whip forward causing the most common rear impact injury known as whiplash. General Motors (GM) did a study regarding crashes at speeds below eight mph. GM found, to no surprise, that injuries do occur at such low speeds. The study also showed that whiplash injuries account for more than half of all injuries connected to vehicular accidents.
Although these types of injuries are characteristically classified as minor nearly 30 percent of those hurt in low speed collisions have reported having neck pain up to three years later. This injury is likely to be worse in those that experienced a rear end collision. Depending on the age of the person this injury could cause a permanent disability.
A motor vehicle can take the force of a low speed collision without showing much damage due to the advances car manufacturers have made in the construction of their vehicles. When a collision does occur the force of the accident pushes inertia somewhere and once the automobile has taken part of that energy away the occupants take the rest. These forces are what can cause people bodily harm even in a crash of below 10 mph.Soft tissue injuries can occur to those involved in a low speed impact and though these injuries might be hard to see they exist.
http://www.carinsurance.com/Articles/content123.aspx
Anatomy of Whiplash
When your body is involved in trauma,
your neck is one of your most vulnerable areas. Whiplash, the hard and
fast forward-backward movement of the neck, can cause pain that can
last well after other injuries have healed. To understand why your neck
is so sore, it helps to know the anatomy involved.
Whiplash can be a complicated diagnosis as the doctor tries to figure out exactly which parts of the spine have been affected. And there are a lot of complex parts to your cervical spine—the technical name for your neck. The cervical spine begins at the base of the skull. It contains seven small vertebrae (bones), which doctors label C1 to C7 (the 'C' means cervical). The numbers 1 to 7 indicate the level of the vertebrae. C1 is closest to the skull, while C7 is closest to the chest.
In between each vertebra are tough fibrous shock-absorbing pads called the intervertebral discs. (These discs are what slide back and forth during the trauma.) Each disc is made up of a tire-like outer band and a gel-like inner substance. The outer band is called the annulus fibrosus; the inner part is called the nucleus pulposus.
In addition to bones and discs, your cervical spine also includes the upper region of the spinal cord, eight nerve roots, an elaborate system of arteries and veins, 32 muscles for strength, and numerous ligaments. For such a small area, there is a lot to your neck. That means that there are a lot of parts that can be injured when you have whiplash.
Remarkably, the cervical spine supports the full weight of your head, which is usually about 8 pounds—yet no other region of the spine has such freedom of movement. The cervical spine can move your head in nearly every direction: 90° of forward motion, 90° of backward motion, 180° of side to side motion, and almost 120° of tilt to either shoulder.
Unfortunately, this flexibility makes the neck very susceptible to pain and injury, such as whiplash. In whiplash, those 15 pounds are dramatically tossed frontwards then backwards—that's one important reason to wear seatbelts properly and use airbags whenever possible.
spineuniverse.com
Whiplash can be a complicated diagnosis as the doctor tries to figure out exactly which parts of the spine have been affected. And there are a lot of complex parts to your cervical spine—the technical name for your neck. The cervical spine begins at the base of the skull. It contains seven small vertebrae (bones), which doctors label C1 to C7 (the 'C' means cervical). The numbers 1 to 7 indicate the level of the vertebrae. C1 is closest to the skull, while C7 is closest to the chest.
In between each vertebra are tough fibrous shock-absorbing pads called the intervertebral discs. (These discs are what slide back and forth during the trauma.) Each disc is made up of a tire-like outer band and a gel-like inner substance. The outer band is called the annulus fibrosus; the inner part is called the nucleus pulposus.
In addition to bones and discs, your cervical spine also includes the upper region of the spinal cord, eight nerve roots, an elaborate system of arteries and veins, 32 muscles for strength, and numerous ligaments. For such a small area, there is a lot to your neck. That means that there are a lot of parts that can be injured when you have whiplash.
Remarkably, the cervical spine supports the full weight of your head, which is usually about 8 pounds—yet no other region of the spine has such freedom of movement. The cervical spine can move your head in nearly every direction: 90° of forward motion, 90° of backward motion, 180° of side to side motion, and almost 120° of tilt to either shoulder.
Unfortunately, this flexibility makes the neck very susceptible to pain and injury, such as whiplash. In whiplash, those 15 pounds are dramatically tossed frontwards then backwards—that's one important reason to wear seatbelts properly and use airbags whenever possible.
spineuniverse.com
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retrieval services for victims of auto accidents or the "Legal
Representatives" of drivers, passengers and pedestrians involved in an
accident. Reports are mailed directly from Police Department Records
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Why should i get an attorney after an Auto/Car accident for my injuries?
An attorney helps with all aspects of an
auto/car accident claim or injury. They keep an individual from
spending countless hours on the phone with insurance adjusters that
really don't care about your well being. It also helps to keep stress
levels down and allow you to concentrate on recovery and getting well.
Our office only works with the best attorneys/lawyers in Dallas/Fort
Worth. We have learned through trial and error, who best takes care of
our patients. They also make sure that all your medical bills are
settled. This allows you to be additionally stress and medical bill
free at the end. We also help those who are not able to treat in our
office, who are in need of an attorney. We are here to help!!! So
don't hesitate in calling and making an appointment to get examined and
also ask about scheduling a free consultation with a reputable
attorney. You only have one body, so you need to take care of it.
Call Today!!! (972)215-7720
FACTORS INFLUENCING INJURY TOLERANCE
FACTORS INFLUENCING INJURY TOLERANCE
- how long after the accident treatment was initiated
- the type of treatment received
- patient compliance to the treatment plan
- the nature of the accident (frontal, rear, side impact collision or a combination)
- severity of accident (i.e. automobile speeds)
- the size and speed of your vehicle and other vehicles involved
- whether or not seat belts were worn
- whether you were aware of the impending accident
- the height of the head rest
- the age of the individual (elderly and children more susceptible to the forces involved in MVA's)
- the size and strength of the individual - more specifically, their spinal musculature
- the presence of preexisting spinal conditions
Findings from a recent Canadian study, published in the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, indicate that the following patient and crash characteristics lead to a poorer prognosis:
The prognosis for recovery was poor if:
- there were additional injuries besides whiplash,
- the patient was female, elderly or had dependents,
- the crash was severe, involved a truck or bus,
- the injured party was not wearing a seat belt.
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