[About the Geserick sign--a literature study].

Fractures of the medial and basal orbital wall as well as the petrous part of the temporal bone were described first in 1980 by a Berlin-based study group led by Geserick as new cranium findings resulting from a contrecoup mechanism. Experimental and comparative examinations revealed that indirect fractures of the orbital walls are caused by a coup action of the eyeballs, whereas the mechanogenesis of the petrous bone fractures continues to be unclear. The frequently combined occurrence with the orbital sign nonetheless permits an allocation to the contrecoup mechanism. Both signs are important criteria for forensic and clinical assessment of craniocerebral injuries.