The kidneys and the rest of the urinary tract (the bladder Bladder Injuries A bladder injury often occurs when the pelvis is injured, as in a high-speed motor vehicle crash or a fall. Penetrating wounds, usually resulting from gunshots, can rarely injure the bladder... read more , ureters Ureteral Injuries The ureters are the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder. (See Overview of Urinary Tract and Genital Injury.) Most injuries to the ureter occur during pelvic or abdominal operations... read more [tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder], and urethra Urethral Injuries The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder outside the body. In men, the urethra runs through the middle of the penis. Most urethral injuries occur in men. Common causes include... read more [the tube through which urine flows out of the body]) may become injured in a number of ways. Examples include injuries due to a blunt force (most commonly motor vehicle crashes, falls, or sports injuries) or a penetrating force (most commonly gunshot or stab wounds), or surgery. Injuries to the urinary tract often occur together with injuries to other organs, especially abdominal organs. In men, the penis and testes Genital Injuries Most genital injuries occur in men and may involve injury to the testes, scrotum, and/or penis. Severe genital injuries occur most commonly on the battlefield, usually from ground explosives... read more may also be injured.
Organs of the Urinary Tract
The urinary tract consists of the kidneys, ureters (tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder), bladder, and urethra (the tube through which urine flows out of the body). These organs may be injured by blunt force (as occurs in a motor vehicle crash or a fall) or by penetrating force (as results from a gunshot or stabbing). Injuries may also occur unintentionally during surgery.  |
Because the function of the kidneys is to continuously filter out metabolic wastes from the blood and remove them from the body through the urinary tract, injuries to the kidneys Kidney Injuries Kidneys are injured more often than any of the organs along the urinary tract from external trauma. Blunt force due to motor vehicle crashes, falls, or sports injuries is the usual cause of... read more or urinary tract can lead to the inability to perform these functions (kidney failure Overview of Kidney Failure Kidney failure is the inability of the kidneys to adequately filter metabolic waste products from the blood. Kidney failure has many possible causes. Some lead to a rapid decline in kidney function... read more ). Other complications of injury include bleeding, leakage of urine from the urinary tract into surrounding tissues, and infection. Preventing permanent damage to the urinary tract and even death may depend on prompt diagnosis and treatment.
