particularly vulnerable to sheer and torsional forces, which disrupt the delicate network of vascular plexi that supply it from the underlying tissue planes. Large areas of skin can effectively be ‘degloved’ or lifted off the fascial and subfascial vasculature, struggling to survive. However, this may not be evi­dent immediately and can take several days to evolve and declare itself as non-viable. The underlying fat is far more at risk from trauma compared to its durable cover. Fat is easily injured, often beyond the zone of skin injury. Necrosis quickly ensues once blood supply is interrupted, with the potential to form discrete nodules which undergo liquefactive necrosis. Muscle tissue can be bruised, sprained by stretch, or lacerated, with variable degrees of injury severity. It is extremely sensitive to direct trauma, where tearing and subsequent necrosis of the myofibrils creates space for haematoma formation and proliferation of inflammatory cells, as part of the repair process. Finally, nerve injury is well described and can be classified from mild bruising (neuropraxia) to com­plete disruption of the fascicles (neurotmesis), cor­responding to cell death and loss of ability to transmit sensory or motor impulses.