Six Month Recovery Following Musculoskeletal Injuries in Motor Vehicle Collisions

Abstract

To provide standardized physical examination interim results from an ongoing study on the natural history of recovery from musculoskeletal injuries in motor vehicle accidents. Repeated measures. McMaster University and Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. 24 adult (15 women, 9 men) occupants of motor vehicles. who reported any pain following collisions. Patients were examined by a physical medicine specialist at 2 weeks and 6 weeks following motor vehicle collisions. Changes over time were analyzed by correlated t-tests. 1. Self-reported pain on pain diagrams using 200 equal size regions, 2. Goniometer ranges in all symptomatic joints, 3. Examination tenderness (scaled 0, 1, 2) at all spinous processes, paraspinal muscles and symptomatic limb joint structures, 4. Work Status. In sub-acute assessment, mean body surface in pain was 25% (SD=23%) and mean tenderness was 2.3 (SD = 1.7). Improvement in pain distribution was significant (p < .05) but only averaged 30% of the affected body area. Mean tenderness did not improve. Imaging showed fractures in 4 patients and tendon tears in 2. Among the 18 with normal imaging, 13 had joint range loss compared to published values, creating a subgroup of 19 with measurable impairments. In this group, ranges remained impaired at 6 months in 11 subjects. Of the 23 working at the time of injury, 19 had returned to work by 6 months. Within the clinical range studied, there was only modest clinical improvement in pain and joint movement, but most returned to work.