Final answer:
Axial loading injuries occur when a sudden, excessive compression force drives the long axis of the body toward the head or the head toward the feet. They result in compression of the spine and can cause serious injury.
Step-by-step explanation:
Axial loading injuries occur when a sudden, excessive compression force drives the long axis of the body toward the head, or the head toward the feet. Common injuries that involve axial loading are heavy objects falling on a patient's head, diving head first into shallow water, and falls in which the patient lands feet first. All of these mechanisms cause compression of the spine, potentially resulting in serious injury. None of the other injury mechanisms described are consistent with axial loading.