Simultaneous aortic and tricuspid valve rupture after fall injury

This case study concerns a patient with disruption of both tricuspid and aortic valves: a previously healthy, adult man, who sustained a 5-meter fall from a building under construction. The mechanism of the injury was acceleration and deceleration, acting in two different phases of the cardiac cycle, i.e. systole and diastole. Simultaneous occurrence of these injuries is exceedingly rare and in a careful literature review, we did not find any such combination of injury. The possible mechanisms of this injury, as well as surgical techniques are discussed.