Mechanisms and patterns of injury: the key to anticipation in trauma management.

Traumatic injuries are classified into blunt and penetrating injuries. Penetrating injuries are caused when an object such as a knife or bullet crushes and tears the tissues that it traverses. The energy transfer from the penetrating object to the tissues determines the degree of injury, and the wounding tract determines the pattern of injury. Blunt trauma produces injury by transferring energy through acceleration forces (+ and -) to the victim (usually from motor vehicles or falls). The pattern and severity of injury are determined by the magnitude and orientation of the acceleration change to the victim's anatomy.