Severe traumatic brain injury has been one of the major causes of death in Malaysia, and is a leading cause of death in children and adults under 45 years resulting in a big financial burden to the country.  The leading cause of traumatic brain injuries is motor vehicle accidents and Malaysia has one of the highest incident rates in the world with approximately 22 deaths per 100,000 population and many thousands who sustained severe disabilities.

The Malaysia National Trauma Database compiled data from several major hospitals between the year 2006 and 2009.  Throughout this period, head injuries featured significantly (>65%) in patients who sustained major trauma, the most common intracranial injury being subdural haemorrhage.  The database also revealed that 75% of these patients with head and neck injuries had an Abbreviated Injury Score (AIS) of more than 3.  Over the years, the data showed that there has been a steady rise in the number of intracranial procedures done among those patients who required surgical procedures in major trauma.