A crush injury occurs when a body part is caught between 2 objects.

What are the causes and risks of the injury?

Most crush injuries are the results of accidents. A minor crush injury is often not serious. An example of a minor crush injury is getting a finger caught in a door. A crush injury is more serious when it involves a large force, such as a foot being run over by a car. This type of crush injury may damage tissues below the skin, such as blood vessels, nerves, muscles, or bones. The force may cause the skin to crack or scrape off during the injury. A loss of function or blood flow may occur in the area. The tissue damaged by a crush injury is also at increased risk for infection. There may be permanent numbness or deformity of the injured body part. Amputation, or removal of a body part with surgery, may be needed in severe injuries.