Neurosurgery
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Basilar cranial fractures have been associated with injury to the carotid artery. We sought to determine whether fracture through the carotid canal was a significant risk factor for carotid injury. ⋯ Vascular complications are more frequently observed after basilar cranial fractures when there is involvement of the carotid canal. The lacerum-cavernous junction, which is partly formed by the spheno-occipital suture, is the most frequently fractured segment of the carotid canal. Fracture through the petrous segment of the carotid canal is associated with a relatively high incidence of carotid injury. Fracture through the carotid canal may serve as an index of injury severity, because patients with these fractures suffered more severe head injuries.