Complete Femoral Artery and Vein Avulsion from a Hyperextension Injury: A Case Report and Literature Review

Blunt peripheral extremity vascular injuries are much less frequent than those of penetrating injuries, especially in the absence of significant musculoskeletal trauma. We present an unusual case of complete femoral artery and vein avulsion that resulted from a forced hip hyperextension and thigh abduction after slipping when a patient's foot became entrapped in a ladder. The patient presented with an acutely ischemic right lower extremity 8 hr postinjury, which necessitated immediate surgical exploration, temporary intravascular shunting, interposition grafting, and prophylactic fasciotomy. To our knowledge, this is the first such mechanism to be reported resulting in complete transection of both femoral artery and vein. We review the mechanism of injury and management.