Within the spectrum of peripheral cold injuries, frostbite is the most serious lesion.

It is an injury that results from exposure to temperatures that are low enough to cause ice crystal formation in the exposed tissue and develops after exposure to low temperatures for more than 1 hour, usually when protection from the environment is insufficient.

While all exposed tissues may be affected, the feet and the hands account for 90% of the injuries reported.

The spectrum of injury varies from minimal tissue loss with mild long-term sequelae to major necrosis of the distal limbs with subsequent major amputations.

In the past, frostbite was primarily a military problem but it is becoming increasingly prevalent in the civilian population.