title: Vascular injury associated with blunt trauma without dislocation of the knee.
abstract: Failure to recognize popliteal artery injury and restore vessel continuity of flow after blunt trauma is a major cause of lower extremity amputation and morbidity. A high index of suspicion and early recognition of the injury are paramount for limb salvage. We experienced a rare case of poplitial artery occlusion with the presence of arterial pulses due to collateral circulation after blunt trauma. Expeditious revascularization was achieved by using posterior approach, allowing two surgical teams to work simultaneously. This case illustrates that, even in the absence of knee dislocation, surgeons must always consider the possibility of a popliteal artery damage whenever a blunt trauma near the knee.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Thoracic Surgery, College of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Korea.
authors.forename: Jong-Woo
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Chang-Meen
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: Se-Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Sun-Chul
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Hwang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D031221:Knee Dislocation; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D011150:Popliteal Artery / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome