We compared the surgical efficacy of the supraorbital key-hole approach (SKA) to conventional unilateral frontotemporal craniotomy (UFTC) for the treatment of patients with unilateral-dominant bilateral frontal contusions (BFCs). A retrospective analysis of 62 patients with unilateral-dominant BFCs who underwent surgery at our institute between 2014 and 2017 was performed. There were 26 patients who underwent SKA (group A) and 36 who underwent UFTC (group B). Postoperative computed tomography scans showed satisfactory evacuation of the frontal cerebral contusions in both groups (p > 0.05). There was less intraoperative blood loss in group A than group B (17.1 ± 4.55 vs. 67.6 ± 10.28 mL, p < 0.05). The operative time was also shorter in group A (82.7 ± 13.73 vs. 132.4 ± 9.17 min, p < 0.05). Postoperative bleeding occurred in three cases in group A and in only one case in group B (p > 0.05). The average length of hospitalization was shorter in group A than group B (7.3 ± 1.09 vs. 12.9 ± 1.71 days, p < 0.05). No differences in the Glasgow Outcome Scale were observed between the two groups after 6 months of follow-up (p > 0.05). Thus, compared to UFTC, SKA is associated with shorter operation times and less trauma to the surrounding brain tissue.

We have previously shown that normobaric hyperoxia may benefit peri-lesional brain and white matter following traumatic brain injury (TBI). This study examined the impact of brief exposure to hyperoxia using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to identify axonal injury distant from contusions. Fourteen patients with acute moderate/severe TBI underwent baseline DTI and following one hour of 80% oxygen. Thirty-two controls underwent DTI, with 6 undergoing imaging following graded exposure to oxygen. Visible lesions were excluded and data compared with controls. We used the 99% prediction interval (PI) for zero change from historical control reproducibility measurements to demonstrate significant change following hyperoxia. Following hyperoxia DTI was unchanged in controls. In patients following hyperoxia, mean diffusivity (MD) was unchanged despite baseline values lower than controls (p < 0.05), and fractional anisotropy (FA) was lower within the left uncinate fasciculus, right caudate and occipital regions (p < 0.05). 16% of white and 14% of mixed cortical and grey matter patient regions showed FA decreases greater than the 99% PI for zero change. The mechanistic basis for some findings are unclear, but suggest that a short period of normobaric hyperoxia is not beneficial in this context. Confirmation following a longer period of hyperoxia is required.

Multiple rib fractures (RFs) and pulmonary contusions (PCs), with resulting systemic lung inflammation, are the most common injuries caused by blunt chest trauma (BCT) in motor vehicle accidents. This study examined levels of the inflammation marker interleukin (IL)-6 and those of the acute-phase reactant surfactant protein (SP)-D in patients with BCT.

For the past few years, treatment of contusions and associated symptoms, such as bruising, pain, and loss of function, has involved instrument-based therapies, ie, lasers, electromagnetic fields, and electrical stimulation. In this study, tissue optimization (TO) sessions were applied using a radioelectric asymmetric conveyor (REAC) for the treatment of contusions and associated symptoms.

Ischemia and metabolic dysfunction remain important causes of neuronal loss after head injury, and we have shown that normobaric hyperoxia may rescue such metabolic compromise. This study examines the impact of hyperoxia within injured brain using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Fourteen patients underwent DTI at baseline and after 1 hour of 80% oxygen. Using the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) we assessed the impact of hyperoxia within contusions and a 1 cm border zone of normal appearing pericontusion, and within a rim of perilesional reduced ADC consistent with cytotoxic edema and metabolic compromise. Seven healthy volunteers underwent imaging at 21%, 60%, and 100% oxygen. In volunteers there was no ADC change with hyperoxia, and contusion and pericontusion ADC values were higher than volunteers (P<0.01). There was no ADC change after hyperoxia within contusion, but an increase within pericontusion (P<0.05). We identified a rim of perilesional cytotoxic edema in 13 patients, and hyperoxia resulted in an ADC increase towards normal (P=0.02). We demonstrate that hyperoxia may result in benefit within the perilesional rim of cytotoxic edema. Future studies should address whether a longer period of hyperoxia has a favorable impact on the evolution of tissue injury.

Factor VII (FVII) plays a key role in the initiation of the coagulation cascade and, in clinical situations, recombinant human activated FVII (rFVIIa) effectively prevents progressive hemorrhaging after a brain contusion. However, it remains unclear whether decreases in FVII activity directly lead to progressive hemorrhaging and, moreover, the precise mechanisms underlying this process are not yet known. The present study demonstrated that decreased FVII activity directly led to progressive hemorrhaging of the cerebral contusions. Administration of FVII prevented the progression of hemorrhaging from cerebral contusions by protecting microvessel endothelial cells in the penumbra of the contusion. The present study also showed that the ternary TF-FVIIa-FXa complex cleaved endogenous protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) on endothelial cells, activated the p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascade, and inhibited p65 nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling. Furthermore, exposure to ternary TF-FVIIa-FXa protected endothelial cells from thrombin- or inflammatory cytokine-induced apoptosis. Although activation of the p44/42 MAPK signaling pathway is endothelial cell protein C receptor (EPCR)-dependent, inhibition of the p65 NF-κB signaling pathway is EPCR-independent; thus, the regulation mechanism underlying the effects of TF-FVIIa-FXa in vascular endothelial cells appears to be multiple signaling pathways. In summary, the present findings demonstrated that FVIIa prevented the progressive hemorrhaging of brain contusions by protecting microvessel endothelial cells via the formation of the ternary TF-FVIIa-FXa complex. These findings are novel and of great clinical significance because FVIIa is used to prevent the progressive hemorrhaging of brain contusions in humans.

Stem barks of Caesalpinia ferrea Mart. Ex Tul. (Caesalpiniaceae), also known as pau-ferro jucá or jucaína, are popularly used to treat contusions, diabetes, rheumatism and other inflammatory conditions in the form of tea, lick or decoction.

Bone contusions are frequently encountered in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluation of knee anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. Their role as indicators of injury severity remains unclear, primarily due to indeterminate levels of joint injury forces and to a lack of preinjury imaging.

Our hypothesis in this study is that desferrioxamine (DFX) has therapeutic effects on experimental lung contusions in rats. The rats were divided into four groups (n = 8): control, control+DFX, contusion, and contusion+DFX. In the control+DFX and contusion+DFX groups, 100 mg/kg DFX was given intraperitoneally once a day just after the contusion and the day after the contusion. Contusions led to a meaningful rise in the malondialdehyde (MDA) level in lung tissue. MDA levels in the contusion+DFX group experienced a significant decline. Glutathione levels were significantly lower in the contusion group than in the control group and significantly higher in the contusion+DFX group. Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels in the contusion group were significantly lower than those in the control group. In the contusion+DFX group, SOD and GPx levels were significantly higher than those in the contusion group. In light microscopic evaluation, the contusion and contusion+DFX groups showed edema, hemorrhage, alveolar destruction, and leukocyte infiltration. However, histological scoring of the contusion+DFX group was significantly more positive than that of the contusion group. The iNOS staining in the contusion group was significantly more intensive than that in all other groups. DFX reduced iNOS staining significantly in comparison to the contusion group. This study showed that DFX reduced oxidative stress in lung contusions in rats and histopathologically ensured the recovery of the lung tissue.

This review is centered on the pivotal role of surgical interventions within the comprehensive management of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Surgical strategies are indispensable components of TBI care, encompassing primary injury management and the alleviation of secondary injury processes, including the handling of intracranial hemorrhages (ICHs), contusions, and mass lesions.

The diagnosis of cardiac contusion, caused by blunt chest trauma, remains a challenge due to the non-specific symptoms it causes and the lack of ideal tests to diagnose myocardial damage. A cardiac contusion can be life-threatening if not diagnosed and treated promptly. Several diagnostic tests have been used to evaluate the risk of cardiac complications, but the challenge of identifying patients with contusions nevertheless remains.

The purpose of this study is to develop a rat lumbosacral spinal cord injury (SCI) model that causes consistent motoneuronal loss and behavior deficits. Most SCI models focus on the thoracic or cervical spinal cord. Lumbosacral SCI accounts for about one third of human SCI but no standardized lumbosacral model is available for evaluating therapies. Twenty-six adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized to three groups: sham (n=9), 25 mm (n=8), and 50 mm (n=9). Sham rats had laminectomy only, while 25 mm and 50 mm rats were injured by dropping a 10 g rod from a height of 25 mm or 50 mm, respectively, onto the L4-5 spinal cord at the T13/L1 vertebral junction. We measured footprint length (FL), toe spreading (TS), intermediate toe spreading (ITS), and sciatic function index (SFI) from walking footprints, and static toe spreading (STS), static intermediate toe spreading (SITS), and static sciatic index (SSI) from standing footprints. At six weeks, we assessed neuronal and white matter loss, quantified axons, diameter, and myelin thickness in the peroneal and tibial nerves, and measured cross-sectional areas of tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius muscle fibers. The result shows that peroneal and tibial motoneurons were respectively distributed in 4.71 mm and 5.01 mm columns in the spinal cord. Dropping a 10-g weight from 25 mm or 50 mm caused 1.5 mm or 3.75 mm gaps in peroneal and tibial motoneuronal columns, respectively, and increased spinal cord white matter loss. Fifty millimeter contusions significantly increased FL and reduced TS, ITS, STS, SITS, SFI, and SSI more than 25 mm contusions, and resulted in smaller axon and myelinated axon diameters in tibial and peroneal nerves and greater atrophy of gastrocnemius and anterior tibialis muscles, than 25 mm contusions. This model of lumbosacral SCI produces consistent and graded loss of white matter, motoneuronal loss, peripheral nerve axonal changes, and anterior tibialis and gastrocnemius muscles atrophy in rats.

Postmenopausal osteoporosis is a major bone health issue worldwide. There is an unmet medical need for osteoporosis treatments, a disease which disproportionately impacts women. Exploring botanicals to prevent or treat osteoporosis is currently an interest of investigations. Rhizomes of Davallia mariesii T. Moore ex Baker (Davalliacea) are used an indigenous herbal medicine in Asia for injuries due to fractures, contusions, and strains.

Arnica montana L. and Artemisia absinthium L. (Asteraceae) are medicinal plants native to temperate regions of Europe, including Romania, traditionally used for treatment of skin wounds, bruises and contusions. In the present study, A. montana and A. absinthium ethanolic extracts were evaluated for their chemical composition, antioxidant activity and protective effect against H2O2-induced oxidative stress in a mouse fibroblast-like NCTC cell line.

Traumatic brain edema occurs commonly brain injury, and most manifests as pericontusional edema of brain contusions. On the basis of evidence-based medicine, apart from recommending craniotomy and mannitol, there are few particularly effective measures to prevent and treat traumatic brain edema. It is uncertain whether an early complementary acupuncture treatment would improve long-term outcomes of patients with traumatic brain edema. The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy and the safety of early complementary acupuncture for patients with traumatic brain edema.

Electrophysiological studies found traumatic lesions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) to affect the preparation of self-initiated movements. However, a precise localization of the observed effects has not been reported yet. Moreover, previous reports did not account for effects of lesion location. Therefore, the present study utilized functional MRI to investigate the influence of predominantly left or right hemispheric PFC lesions on movement preparation in chronic traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients. 18 TBI patients with MRI-defined contusions of the PFC as well as 18 healthy control subjects matched for age and gender were examined. Patients were divided into subgroups of predominantly left or right hemispheric lesions. During functional image acquisition, subjects performed self-initiated abductions of their right index finger. Neuropsychological tests of attention and working memory, which are supposed to modulate preparatory processes, were conducted. Patients with predominantly left contusions demonstrated enhanced activity of the dorsal lateral premotor cortex in comparison to healthy control subjects. In predominantly right lesioned patients, reduced activity within the right caudate head was observed. Compared to predominantly left lesioned patients, neuropsychological tests yielded reduced task performances in the right lesion subgroup. In line with previous electrophysiological research, imaging results of the present study are interpreted to represent altered preparatory networks in chronic prefrontal TBI patients. Since attentional and working memory functions are supposed to modulate preparatory processes, differences between the patient subgroups are suggested to result from the more pronounced cognitive impairments in the right-lesioned group.

We explored the involvement of the lectin pathway of complement in post-traumatic brain injury (TBI) pathophysiology in humans. Brain samples were obtained from 28 patients who had undergone therapeutic contusion removal, within 12 h (early) or from >12 h until five days (late) from injury, and from five non-TBI patients. Imaging analysis indicated that lectin pathway initiator molecules (MBL, ficolin-1, ficolin-2 and ficolin-3), the key enzymes MASP-2 and MASP-3, and the downstream complement components (C3 fragments and TCC) were present inside and outside brain vessels in all contusions. Only ficolin-1 was found in the parenchyma of non-TBI tissues. Immunoassays in brain homogenates showed that MBL, ficolin-2 and ficolin-3 increased in TBI compared to non-TBI (2.0, 2.2 and 6.0-times) samples. MASP-2 increased with subarachnoid hemorrhage and abnormal pupil reactivity, two indicators of structural and functional damage. C3 fragments and TCC increased, respectively, by 3.5 - and 4.0-fold in TBI compared to non-TBI tissue and significantly correlated with MBL, ficolin-2, ficolin-3, MASP-2 and MASP-3 levels in the homogenates. In conclusion, we show for the first time the direct presence of lectin pathway components in human cerebral contusions and their association with injury severity, suggesting a central role for the lectin pathway in the post-traumatic pathophysiology of human TBI.

Anterior cruciate ligament rupture is associated with characteristic bone contusions in approximately 80% of patients, and these have been correlated with higher pain scores. Bone bruising may indicate joint damage that increases inflammation and the likelihood of posttraumatic osteoarthritis. We sought to characterize the severity of bone bruising following acute anterior cruciate ligament injury and determine if it correlates with synovial fluid and serum levels of the proinflammatory chemokine monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 associated with posttraumatic osteoarthritis.

Loss of bladder function is an important consequence of a spinal cord injury (SCI) but is rarely assessed in animal studies of SCI. Here, we use a simple outcome measure (volume of retained urine) to assess bladder dysfunction over time following moderate contusion injuries at 3 different thoracic levels (T1, T4, or T9) and complete crush injuries (T1 vs. T9). The volume of urine retained in the bladder was measured daily for fourteen days post injury by anesthetizing the animals with isoflurane, expressing the bladder, and weighing the urine. To compare bladder deficits with the degree of impairment of hindlimb motor function, locomotion was assessed using the BBB open field rating scale. Rats with contusions at T4 and T9 exhibited bladder impairments reflected by increased urine retention from 1 to 12 days post injury. In contrast, rats with contusions at T1 exhibited minimal deficits (smaller volumes of retained urine). Lesion size and overall functional impairment were comparable between groups based on quantitative assessments of lesion area at the epicenter and BBB locomotor scores. Moreover, a sector analysis of sparing of different portions of the white matter revealed no differences in sparing of different funiculi between the groups. Injections of Fluorogold into lumbar segments led to retrograde labeling of a larger number of neurons in the pontine micturition center (PMC) following T1 injury when compared to T4 or T9. Thus, moderate contusion lesions at T1 spare a critical descending pathway able to mediate at least reflex voiding in rats.

There is increasing motivation to develop clinically relevant experimental models for cervical SCI in rodents and techniques to assess deficits in forelimb function. Here we describe a bilateral cervical contusion model in rats. Female Sprague-Dawley rats received mild or moderate cervical contusion injuries (using the Infinite Horizons device) at C5, C6, or C7/8. Forelimb motor function was assessed using a grip strength meter (GSM); sensory function was assessed by the von Frey hair test; the integrity of the corticospinal tract (CST) was assessed by biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) tract tracing. Mild contusions caused primarily dorsal column (DC) and gray matter (GM) damage while moderate contusions produced additional damage to lateral and ventral tissue. Forelimb and hindlimb function was severely impaired immediately post-injury, but all rats regained the ability to use their hindlimbs for locomotion. Gripping ability was abolished immediately after injury but recovered partially, depending upon the spinal level and severity of the injury. Rats exhibited a loss of sensation in both fore- and hindlimbs that partially recovered, and did not exhibit allodynia. Tract tracing revealed that the main contingent of CST axons in the DC was completely interrupted in all but one animal whereas the dorsolateral CST (dlCST) was partially spared, and dlCST axons gave rise to axons that arborized in the GM caudal to the injury. Our data demonstrate that rats can survive significant bilateral cervical contusion injuries at or below C5 and that forepaw gripping function recovers after mild injuries even when the main component of CST axons in the dorsal column is completely interrupted.