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contusion

Monday 23 March 2009

Contusion is an injury caused by a blunt force that damages small blood vessels and causes interstitial bleeding, usually without disruption of the continuity of the tissue.

With superficial contusions, the bleeding is usually evident almost at once, but with deeper contusions, of skeletal muscle, for example, the bleeding may not be evident for many hours and may leave only swelling and tenderness at the site. Older individuals with small-vessel fragility may sustain extensive hematomas at contused sites.