While platelet activation and plug formation are necessary for the cessation of bleeding and vascular injuries, if platelet adhesion and aggregation occur in an unwarranted location, the result will instead be vascular obstruction and thrombosis. This is commonly observed in myocardial infarctions, in which platelet aggregation and adhesion result in a blocked coronary artery. As such, the same factors that cause platelets to coagulate during hemostasis can also contribute to unwanted thrombosis.
