Spine surgeons and researchers recently published an article in The Spine Journal examining the characteristics of spinal injuries incurred from motor vehicle collisions.
The researchers examined 631 occupants in the Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network database entered between 1996 and 2011. Among them, 299 sustained major injuries. The researchers found:
• Flexion-distraction injuries more common among children and young adults
• Extension injuries more common among older adults
• Average BMI for occupants with extension injuries was 56
• Fatality among patients with extension injuries was 23.8 percent — much higher than the entire cohort at 10.9 percent.
• Most frequent spinal injuries involved the chest
• Minor thoracic and lumbar injuries had greater association with abdominal injuries.
• 35.3 percent of occupants wearing a three-point seat belt sustained thoracic and lumbar injuries, compared with 11.6 percent who were unbelted.
• Individuals with three-point seat belts were more likely to sustain burst fractures.
• Individuals with two-point seat belts were more likely to sustain flexion-distraction injuries.
• The most common injury among unbelted individuals was fracture-dislocation of the thoracic and lumbar spine.
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