Frequency of vascular injury with blunt trauma-induced extremity injury

Vascular injury associated with select blunt trauma-induced orthopedic injuries is thought to occur frequently enough to require angiography in most cases. We sought to establish the actual frequency of such vascular injuries by reviewing all orthopedic and vascular patients seen during 4 years at one institution. A total of 569 at-risk parajoint fractures or dislocations were seen with a 1.5% incidence of vascular injury; all were recognized on clinical examination and vascular consultation then obtained. Vascular injury in this setting is uncommon, associated with particular clinical presentations, and recognized by the orthopedic surgeon, without need for routine angiography or vascular consultation.