Damage to the airways can cause subcutaneous emphysema (air trapped in the subcutaneous tissue of the skin) in the abdomen, chest, neck, and head; the sign is particularly indicative of tracheobronchial injury when it is only in the neck.
Damage to the airways can cause subcutaneous emphysema (air trapped in the subcutaneous tissue of the skin) in the abdomen, chest, neck, and head. Subcutaneous emphysema, present in up to 85% of people with TBI, is particularly indicative of the injury when it is only in the neck.