Coup injuries occur at which location?

• A. In soft tissue only
• B. At the base of the skull
• C. On the opposite side of the skull away from the impact
• D. The impact point on the skull

Answer: (D)

Coup injuries occur at the site of impact on the skull. When a blunt force hits the head, the brain shifts and bangs against the inner skull at the point of contact, producing contusion there. This is what defines coup injury. The opposite side can suffer injury too—that’s called a countercoup injury—but that occurs away from the impact, not at it. So the correct location is the impact point on the skull.