uries that can occur are damage to the neck, spine, and possible retinal hemorrhages or detachment.Extradural, subdural, and subarachnoid hemorrhages are best understood by reviewing the anatomy of the meninges. The meninges are divided into three layers: the dura mater, arachnoid layer, and pia mater. The dura mater lines the inner surfaces of the skull and forms partial divisions in the cortex of the brain. The dura mater is attached to the skull, particularly at the cranial sutures of the bones that make up the skull. In infants and small children this attachment has not yet taken place. The space between the skull and the dura mater is the extradural space. A hemorrhage into this space is referred to as an extradural hemorrhage. These hemorrhages are usually the result of a tear in a meningeal artery.An extradural hemorrhage is more prevalent in small children because the dura mater lining has not yet firmly attached itself to the junctures in the skull. When the head snaps back and forth the brain will bounce off the skull. This causes bruising or tearing to the dura mater or the meningeal artery. When the body recognizes that bruising has occurred the bodys natural healing abilities take effect. The first thing that the body will do will be to release histamines to increase to permeability of the capillaries in the area. This will cause the area to swell and attempt to repair itself. When the body does this the swelling creates pressure on the brain by pushing against the cortex since the skull is an unforgiving medium. When the meningeal artery is torn it releases a large about of blood into the space between the dura mater and skull. The body will react by releasing thromoboplastin from the damaged cells. This chemical starts the bodys chain reaction to clot the blood. In 30-60 minutes the blood clot is formed and begins to act as a biological stitch. The down side to this is there is a good possibility of parts o...
