Traumatic brain injury can result in serious brain damage, even when there is no skull fracture. The brain is cushioned with cerebrospinal fluid, but a strong enough force can damage the brain. The more intense the injury is, the more severe the brain damage is. Accidents are the most common cause of traumatic brain injury, such as falling and vehicle collisions.
Falls
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that falling is the leading cause of traumatic brain injury, accounting for 35.2 percent of cases. The rate of traumatic brain injury caused by falling varies by the age group. For example, the traumatic brain injury from falling is more common in children and the elderly. In children from newborn to age 14, falls account for 50.2 percent of traumatic brain injury cases. In adults who are ages 65 and older, falling is the leading cause of traumatic brain injury---60.7 percent of all cases.
Vehicle Accidents
The next leading cause of traumatic brain injury cases is vehicle accidents, which is 17.3 percent, according to the CDC. Because a motor vehicle accident can involve other dangerous elements, like gasoline fires, it is also the leading cause of traumatic brain injury related deaths, totaling 31.8 percent.
Explosions
The Mayo Clinic states that explosive blasts, such as from a mine, are a traumatic brain injury cause found mainly in military personnel who are in areas of active combat. When traumatic brain injury is caused by an explosion, it is a closed head injury in most cases, though the pressure is strong enough to damage the brain.
Assault
Violence is also a cause of traumatic brain injury. The CDC states that 10 percent of the population has traumatic brain injury caused by an act of violence, such as from a gun shot wound or physical abuse. The rate of incidence is lower in children and the elderly. For example, violence related traumatic brain injury accounts for 2.9 percent of traumatic brain injury cases in children up to age 14, and 1 percent of traumatic brain injury cases in adults over age 65.
Object Collision
The CDC says that collision with an object is the second leading cause of traumatic brain injury in children, accounting for 24.8 percent of cases. The object can be moving or stationary. For example, the child can be hit with an on-coming baseball, or run into a wall while on a bicycle.
