Angiographic evaluation of traumatic arterial injuries of the upper limbs: a retrospective study

The aim of this study was to evaluate the mechanism and type of upper limb arterial trauma in Iranian population.

Fifty-one patients with upper limb trauma were evaluated over a 4-year period with conventional angiography at the Tabriz Imam Hospital, Iran.

Twenty-four patients (19 men, 5 women with a mean age of 27.5±11.8 years) had arterial injuries. Blunt trauma was more frequent than penetrating trauma (87.5%). The most cause of trauma was traffic accidents and the brachial artery was the most frequently affected artery. In 87.5% cases associated bone injuries were observed.

Patients with blunt upper limb injuries must be evaluated for vascular integrity timely, especially in traffic accidents because vascular injuries after traffic accidents need to be referred to vascular centers. The results of this article are of potential use and clinical importance because precise diagnosis of vascular insults are essential to restore injured extremities.