Outcomes of Blunt Trauma vs. Penetrating Trauma Popliteal Artery Injury

Popliteal artery injuries (PAIs) are among the most severe peripheral vascular injuries; they may lead to movement impairment or amputation. This study aimed to compare the repair results of PAIs following blunt and penetrating trauma in patients referred to our Vascular Surgery Center in southwest Iran. In this cross-sectional study, 92 patients with vascular trauma referred to the Southwest Trauma Center of Iran in 2020 were assessed. The sampling method was census. The data collection tool was a checklist containing demographic information, medical information, vascular information, Functional Independence Measure (FIM) Score, Mangled Extremity Severity Score (MESS), and Injury Severity Score (ISS). The chi-square test, Fisher exact test, and independent t-test were used to compare categorical and quantitative data between case and control groups. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS version 24. The significance level considered was a p-value less than 0.05. In this study of 92 participants, 63.1% (58) had blunt trauma injuries (case group). The mean age of participants in the case group was 45.37 ± 9.14, and in the control group was 49.43 ± 10.65. The mean GCS of participants in the case group was 10.80 ± 1.30, and in the control group, it was 11.72 ± 0.70, and 10.6% of participants needed limb fasciotomy (1.7% in the case group and 26.3% in the control group). The amputation rate was 12% in the case group and 8.8% in the control group. There was a significant difference between the two groups in terms of organ fasciotomy (P = 0.035), type of PAI (P = 0.018), and fracture (P = 0.007). MESS (P < 0.001), FIM Score (P < 0.001), ISS (P = 0.044), time of discharge (P < 0.001), and arterial condition (P < 0.001). The results showed that the complications of penetrating PAI (organ fasciotomy, type of fracture, ISS, MESS, FIM score, time of discharge, and arterial condition were significantly more than in blunt injuries.