High-velocity injuries, in practical terms are a form of penetrating traumatic brain injuries, which are much less common than blunt traumatic brain injuries and distinguished from low-velocity penetrating brain injuries by the amount of kinetic energy deposited in the skull and brain parenchyma, which in turn has implications for the pattern and severity of injury. 

​

Damage to the bone and soft tissues of the head by high-velocity projectiles is dependant on a number of factors, such as shape and size, however, the dominant factor is the amount of kinetic energy they deposit as they traverse tissues.