Damage control of peripheral vascular trauma - Don't be afraid of axillary or popliteal fosses.

Peripheral vascular injuries are uncommon in civilian trauma but can threaten the patient's life or the viability of the limb. The definitive control of the vascular injury represents a surgical challenge, especially if the patient is hemodynamically unstable. This article proposes the management of peripheral vascular trauma following damage control surgery principles. It is essential to rapidly identify vascular injury signs and perform temporary bleeding control maneuvers. The surgical approaches according to the anatomical injured region should be selected. We propose two novel approaches to access the axillary and popliteal zones. The priority should be to reestablish limb perfusion via primary repair or damage control techniques (vascular shunt or endovascular approach). Major vascular surgeries should be managed post-operatively in the intensive care unit, which will allow correction of physiological derangement and identification of those developing compartmental syndrome. All permanent or temporary vascular procedures should be followed by a definitive repair within the first 8 hours. An early diagnosis and opportune intervention are fundamental to preserve the function and perfusion of the extremity.

El trauma vascular periférico no es común en el contexto civil, pero representa una amenaza para la vida del paciente o de la extremidad. El control definitivo de la lesión vascular representa un desafío quirúrgico, especialmente en pacientes con inestabilidad hemodinámica. Este artículo describe la propuesta de manejo del trauma vascular periférico de acuerdo con los principios de la cirugía de control de daños. Se debe identificar los signos sugestivos de lesión vascular y realizar oportunamente maniobras temporales para el control del sangrado. Se debe elegir el abordaje quirúrgico dependiendo del área anatómica lesionada. Se proponen dos nuevas incisiones para acceder a la región axilar y poplítea. La prioridad es restablecer la perfusión de la extremidad mediante el reparo primario o técnicas de control de daños (shunt vascular o abordaje endovascular). Los pacientes sometidos a cirugías vasculares mayores deben ser manejados postoperatoriamente en la unidad de cuidados intensivos para corregir las alteraciones fisiológicas e identificar aquellos que desarrollen un síndrome compartimental. Todos los procedimientos vasculares permanentes o temporales deben contar con un reparo definitivo en las primeras 8 horas. El diagnóstico temprano e intervención oportuna son fundamentales para salvaguardar la perfusión y funcionalidad de la extremidad.

Tratamento endovascular com endoprótese aórtica para aneurisma de artéria subclávia secundário à fístula arteriovenosa axilo-axilar traumática tardia / Endovascular treatment with aortic endoprostheses for subclavian artery aneurysm secondary to late traumatic axillary-axillary arteriovenous fistula

Resumo As fístulas arteriovenosas (FAVs) traumáticas envolvendo os vasos axilares e subclávios são incomuns e correspondem de 5 a 10% de todos os traumas arteriais. A anatomia complexa dessa região torna desafiador o tratamento desse segmento. Neste desafio terapêutico, descrevemos o caso de um homem de 73 anos, encaminhado por edema progressivo e úlcera no membro superior direito, com história pregressa de ferimento por arma de fogo na região infraclavicular direita há cerca de 50 anos. Foi realizada angiotomografia e identificou-se FAV axilo-axilar associada à tortuosidade e dilatação aneurismática de artéria subclávia a jusante. O paciente foi submetido à intervenção endovascular com endoprótese cônica (monoilíaca) 26 × 14 × 90 mm Braile® na artéria subclávia aneurismática, posterior à saída da artéria vertebral direita, e endoprótese monoilíaca 16 × 16 × 95 mm Excluder® com sobreposição na primeira prótese, apresentando resultado satisfatório. Portanto, descreve-se a possibilidade de utilização de endoprótese aórtica em situação incomum e de exceção, com sucesso.

Abstract Traumatic arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) involving the axillary and subclavian vessels are uncommon and account for 5 to 10% of all arterial traumas. The complex anatomy of this region makes treatment of this segment challenging. In this therapeutic challenge, we describe the case of a 73-year-old man, referred for progressive edema and ulceration involving the right upper limb and with a history of gunshot wound to the right infraclavicular region about 50 years previously. Angiotomography was performed and an axillary-axillary AVF was found, associated with tortuosity and aneurysmatic dilation of the subclavian artery downstream. He underwent endovascular intervention and a conical (monoiliac) 26 × 14 × 90 mm Braile® endoprosthesis was used in the aneurysmatic subclavian artery, posterior to the exit of the right vertebral artery and a 16 × 16 × 95mm Excluder® monoiliac endoprosthesis was placed overlapping the first prosthesis, showing a satisfactory result. Therefore, the possibility of successfully using aortic endoprostheses in an unusual and exceptional situation is described.

Lesión traumática del nervio axilar identificada luego de la reparación del manguito rotador / Traumatic injury of the axillary nerve identified after rotator cuff repair

Introducción: La prevalencia del dolor de hombro oscila entre el 6,7% y el 66,7%; los trastornos del manguito rotador y especialmente la ruptura pueden alcanzar una prevalencia del 22,1%. Debido a los importantes avances y estudios en la reparación de esta lesión, la cirugía artroscópica ha permitido una mejor identificación, visualización y clasificación, y un mejor manejo de los pacientes. Además, la ruptura del manguito rotador o la fractura de la tuberosidad mayor del húmero incrementan el riesgo de lesión nerviosa (riesgo relativo -1,9), más significativa en pacientes >60 años. Se presenta a un paciente con ruptura postraumática del manguito rotador, quien requirió reparación artroscópica mínimamente invasiva, con evolución posoperatoria estacionaria y diagnóstico de lesión del nervio axilar, sin recuperación autolimitada atribuida a luxación anterior e inestabilidad secundaria al trauma inicial. Conclusiones: La lesión del nervio axilar es más frecuente que lo esperado y, en muchas ocasiones, la identificación temprana se pasa por alto debido a la alta asociación con otras lesiones. Por lo tanto, el diagnóstico y el manejo oportunos requieren mucho cuidado por parte del médico tratante. Nivel de Evidencia: IV

Introduction: The prevalence of shoulder pain varies between 6.7% and 66.7%; whereas rotator cuff disorders-especially rupture-can reach a prevalence of 22.1%. Due to the important advances and studies in the repair of this injury, arthroscopic surgery has allowed a better identification, visualization and classification, as well as a better handling of the patients. In addition, rotator cuff ruptures or greater tuberosity fractures increase the risk of nerve injury (relative risk -1.9), which is more significant in patients >60 years old. We discuss the case of a patient with post-traumatic rotator cuff rupture who required minimally invasive arthroscopic repair. No weight-bearing was allowed during the postoperative period. Patient presented a non-self-limited axillary nerve injury secondary to anterior dislocation and resulting instability after the original trauma. Conclusions: Axillary nerve injuries are more common than expected and, in many cases, early identification is not possible due to its high rate of association with other injuries. Therefore, treating physicians must be very careful in order to achieve a timely diagnosis and management of the patient. Level of Evidence: IV

Endovascular repair of a penetrating axillary artery injury

Abstract We report a 16-year-old boy who sustained a gunshot injury on his upper left side of the chest that resulted in an injury to the left axillary artery and was treated with endovascular repair. An endovascular repair has been increasingly accepted for the management of hemorrhage in critically ill trauma patients; using covered endovascular stents provides an alternative modality for both controlling hemorrhage and preserving flow.

Endovascular Repair of a Penetrating Axillary Artery Injury.

We report a 16-year-old boy who sustained a gunshot injury on his upper left side of the chest that resulted in an injury to the left axillary artery and was treated with endovascular repair. An endovascular repair has been increasingly accepted for the management of hemorrhage in critically ill trauma patients; using covered endovascular stents provides an alternative modality for both controlling hemorrhage and preserving flow.

Reparación de sección de arteria axilar por trauma vascular secundario a herida por arma blanca: a propósito de un caso / Repair of axillary artery section due to vascular trauma secondary to stab wounds: a case report

Objetivo: Presentar un caso clínico y discutir el manejo del trauma de arteria axilar y revisar la literatura actual. Caso Clínico: se presenta el caso de un paciente con lesión de arteria axilar, que es traído en shock hipovolémico al Servicio de Emergencias de nuestro hospital. En pabellón, se aprecia sección incompleta de la segunda porción de la arteria axilar. Se controla y repara con anastomosis primaria término-terminal. En su posoperatorio evoluciona de forma satisfactoria. Discusión: El manejo del trauma vascular debe ser metódico y multidisciplinario. Los signos duros de trauma vascular son indicación de exploración quirúrgica inmediata. Los pacientes con signos blandos pueden complementarse con imágenes. En una sección incompleta de arteria axilar, la anastomosis término-terminal ha mostrado buenos resultados. Conclusiones: las lesiones de arteria axilar en el contexto de traumas son infrecuentes. Su manejo necesita de un alto índice de sospecha, un enfoque multidisciplinario y un acceso quirúrgico adecuado al contexto.

Objective: To present a clinical case and discuss the management of axillary artery trauma and to review current literature. Clinical case: Male patient with axillary artery injury, who is brought in hypovolemic shock to the Emergency Department. Surgical findings demonstrated an incomplete section of the second portion of the axillary artery which was repaired with primary end-to-end anastomosis. Postoperatively, the patient evolves without pain and is discharged. Discussion: The management of vascular trauma should be methodical and multidisciplinary. Hard signs of vascular trauma mandate immediate surgical exploration. Patients with soft signs may need further evaluation with images. In an incomplete section of the axillary artery the end-to-end anastomosis has shown good results. Conclusions: Axillary artery lesions in the context of trauma are infrequent. Its management requires a high index of suspicion, a multidisciplinary approach and adequate surgical access.

[Ultrasound-guided continuous infraclavicular block for hand surgery: technical report arm position for perineural catheter placement]. / Bloqueo infraclavicular continuo guiado por ultrasonido para cirugía de mano. Reporte técnico de la posición del brazo para la colocación del catéter perineural.

BACKGROUND: Continuous perineural infusion of local anesthetic provides better postoperative analgesia than intravenous administration of opioids or NSAIDs in upper limb surgery. The infraclavicular approach is a good option due to the muscular stability to catheter; the abduction of the arm apparently makes more superficial the brachial plexus and which elevates clavicle cephalad. AIM: The aim of this study was to identify whether the abduction of the arm for to decreases the skin-plexus distance, facilitating it catheter insertion in a perineural way for a better analgesia. This relation between the arm and the colocation of catheter has not yet been established. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We included 58 adult patients, undergoing forearm and hand surgery, initially divided into two groups, adduction and abduction. It was placed continuous infraclavicular block guided by ultrasound, it allow the catheter tip was adjacent to the posterior cord. In the group patients with high technical difficulties were allowed to reposition the arm abduction, recording number of punctures, redirects, ease of insertion of the catheter and skin-plexus distance. RESULTS: The abduction of the arm moved the clavicle toward cephalad and separated it from the linear transducer, this allowed to maneuver the needle right angle and redirect it, the distance skin-plexus did not decrease significantly with arm position. CONCLUSIONS: Arm abduction allows better scanning facilitates the infraclavicular puncture and catheter introduction.

Axillary artery lesion secondary to fracturing of the proximal third of the humerus: case report / Lesão da artéria axilar secundária a fratura do terço proximal de úmero: relato de caso

Lesions of the axillary artery are rare in patients with fracturing of the proximal third of the humerus and may have greatly varying clinical manifestations. They are responsible for 15% and 20% of upper-limb artery injuries and the commonest mechanism is a fall to the ground, which accounts for 79% of such injuries. In some cases, the signs only appear later on. It is important to bear this association in mind, so as to make an early diagnosis and avoid serious complications. We report on a case of traumatic injury of the axillary artery secondary to fracturing of the proximal third of the humerus in an 84-year-old patient, with late evolution of clinical signs of ischemia in the limb affected. The aim here was to discuss the diagnostic difficulties and treatment...

As lesões da artéria axilar são raras em pacientes com fraturas do terço proximal do úmero e podem ter manifestações clínicas bastante variadas. São responsáveis por 15% a 20% das lesões arteriais dos membros superiores e o mecanismo mais comum é a queda ao solo, que representa 79% dos traumas. Em alguns casos os sinais só aparecem tardiamente. É importante lembrar essa associação, a fim de diagnosticá-la precocemente e evitar complicações graves. Relatamos um caso de lesão traumática da artéria axilar secundária à fratura do terço proximal do úmero em uma paciente de 84 anos, com evolução tardia dos sinais clínicos de isquemia do membro acometido. O objetivo é discutir as dificuldades do diagnóstico e do tratamento...

Isquemia arterial aguda del miembro superior por uso de muletas / Isquemia arterial aguda do membro superior por uso de muletas / Crutches induced acute arterial ischemia of the upeer limb

La compresión axilar por el uso de muletas es una causa infrecuente y subdiagnosticada de isquemia arterial aguda del miembro superior. Se presenta el caso de un paciente con isquemia aguda debido a trauma en la confluencia de las arterias axilar y humeral inducido por el uso de muletas. Dicha lesión fue el foco de microembolias que ocluyeron el arco palmar y la arteria humeral. Se diagnosticó con una arteriografía selectiva de la arteria axilar, y se tratómediante un bypass axilo-humeral con prótesis de PTFE anillado de 6 mm, con resultado satisfactorio en el seguimiento clínico a cinco años del postoperatorio.

A compressão axilar devido ao uso de muletas é uma causa pouco frequente e subdiagnosticada de isquemia arterial aguda do membro superior. Apresenta-se o caso de um paciente com isquemia aguda por trauma da confluência das artérias axilar e femoral induzido pormuletas. Esta lesão foi o foco de microembolias que provocaram a oclusão do arco palmar e da artéria femoral. Foi diagnosticado com uma arteriografia seletiva da artéria axilar, e tratado com um bypass axilo-femoral com prótese de capas de PTFE de 6 mm, com resultado satisfatório no seguimento clínico, cinco anos depois do pós operatório.

Crutch induced axillary trauma represents an infrequent but underdiagnosed cause of acuteischemia to the upper limb. We present a case of acute arterial ischemia caused by trauma of the confluence of the axillary and brachial arteries induced by the use of crutches. This lesion was the origin of microembolisms that occluded both the palmar arch and the brachialartery. The diagnosis was made by a selective arteriography of the axillary artery. An axillobrachial bypass with a 6 mm ringed PTFE prosthesis was performed showing satisfactory resultson his 5 year postoperative clinical follow up.

Lesión de la arteria axlar secundaria a la fractura del cuello del húmero. Reporte de caso / Axillary artery injury secondary to humeral neck fracture. Case report

Las fracturas de húmero proximal corresponden al 75 pro ciento de las fracturas en pacientes mayores de 40 años. Después de los 50 años y por su alta incidencia de osteoporosis, las mujeres tienen una mayor frecuencia de fracturas que los hombres. Y aunque en pacientes menores de 50 años el trauma de alto impacto es la causa principal de fractura, en pacientes que sobrepasan esa edad los mecanismos de bajo impacto son la causa más común. Las lesiones de la arteria axilar ocurren frecuentemente con dislocaciones de hombro y con fracturas de clavícula, no asociándose usualmente a fracturas del humero proximal. Presentamos el caso de una paciente con lesión de la arteria axilar asociada a una fractura conminuta de humero proximal. Usualmente el diagnóstico se sospecha por el cuadro clínico, teniendo en cuenta que durante el examen físico inicial, la circulación colateral del hombro puede demostrar pulsos normales, a pesar de que haya una lesión en la arteria axilar. Para tratar este tipo de lesiones el diagnóstico temprano es un elemento clave y para disminuir complicaciones futuras la circulación se debe restablecer en las primeras seis a ocho horas. De ahí la importancia de mantener un alto índice de sospecha cuando existen fracturas cercanas a grandes vasos y dada la anatomía vascular alrededor de la región proximal del humero, se debe descartar una lesión de la arteria axilar.

Emergency room retrograde transbrachial arteriography for the management of axillosubclavian vascular injuries.

BACKGROUND: Our purpose was to determine the accuracy of single-injection, retrograde transbrachial arteriography (RTBA), performed in the emergency room, for suspected axillosubclavian injuries. METHODS: Thirty-three patients were prospectively assigned for RTBA. Clinical indications for RTBA included high-risk mechanism of injury, decreased (n = 19) or absent (n = 5) brachial pulse, neurologic deficits (n = 11), external or intrathoracic bleeding (n = 4), and bruit (n = 2). Brachial artery was cannulated with an 18-gauge catheter. A sphygmomanometer cuff was placed at the forearm and inflated to 250 mm Hg. Twenty milliliters of nonionic contrast media was injected countercurrent and a single anteroposterior chest radiograph was obtained. Small intimal flaps were followed by serial ultrasound. Surgical findings were used to establish RTBA accuracy. RESULTS: RTBA was successfully performed in all cases. Arterial lesions were detected in 28 (84.8%) patients, including thrombosis (n = 8), arteriovenous fistula (n = 8), and false aneurysm (n = 7) as the most frequent lesions. A sensitivity of 96.5%, a specificity of 100%, a positive predictive value of 100%, and a negative predictive value of 80% were observed with RTBA. CONCLUSION: We conclude that RTBA is a safe and accurate technique to be used in the emergency room for the rapid detection of axillosubclavian arterial injuries.

[Acute ischemia of the upper extremity caused by axillary contused trauma. Report of 3 cases]. / Isquemia aguda de la extremidad superior por trauma contuso axilar. Comunicación de 3 casos.

Blunt trauma to the axillary artery is infrequently associated to unstable proximal humeral fractures or anterior dislocation of the shoulder. We report 3 patients who developed this complication. One of them had associated neurologic injury. All patients required a saphenous vein interposition graft and the patient with neurologic injury required surgical decompression of the brachial plexus. The results of arterial repair were excellent. The patient with neurologic injury recovered significantly after decompression of the plexus, since he had not partial or complete transection of the plexus which is usually a permanent lesion. Our observations support that patients with axillary lesion associated with neurologic deficits should undergo prompt exploratory surgery.