The most common anatomical sites of arterial injury in the extremities: a review of 75 angiographically-proven cases

The incidence of vascular injury has increased worldwide. In an attempt to quantitate the specific arteries most commonly involved in the extremities, we reviewed 75 patients with extremity trauma who were evaluated with angiography (DSA, digital subtraction angiography). The majority of these injuries were related to motor vehicle accidents (93.3%). The mean age of these patients was 28.16 ± 11.14 years, 94.7% of these patients being male. The ratio of upper to lower extremity arterial trauma was 12 to 86. A total of 99 arterial injuries were detected angiographically. Simultaneous injuries to two and three extremity arteries were identified in 13.3% and 9.3% of patients respectively. The most common arteries injured were the anterior tibial, femoral, peroneal, and popliteal arteries. Associated fractures were present in 86.7% of patients. These data may prove useful to the clinician who evaluates post-traumatic injuries of the extremities.