Axillary artery damage following a closed fracture of the neck of the humerus--a case report.

A case of intimal tearing of the axillary artery in association with a close fracture of the neck of the humerus is described. This is a rare injury and illustrates that vascular damage should never be assumed to be due to spasm. Exploration must be carried out because a mechanical vascular occlusion is most likely.