Incidence Of Whiplash Injury Research Articles

Retrospective evaluation of vehicle whiplash-reducing head restraint systems to prevent whiplash injury in Victoria, Australia

Head restraint systems specifically engineered to reduce the impact of whiplash injury in the event of a rear-end collision were introduced in the late 1990s with the aim of reducing whiplash injury risk that went 'beyond simple geometric improvements’ to head restraints. Whilst studies have shown that whiplash-reducing head restraint systems are highly effective in reducing whiplash injury, these were based on a limited range of systems including Toyota’s Whiplash Injury Lessening (WIL) seating system, Volvo’s Whiplash Injury Prevention System (WHIPS) and the Saab Active Head Restraint (SAHR) and have generally focussed on Swedish crash and insurance data. However, there has been no broad real-world crash-based evaluation of the effectiveness of whiplash-reducing head restraint systems currently present in the vehicle fleet that validates the results of these studies in other populations. The objective of this study was to undertake a retrospective evaluation of vehicle whiplash-reducing head restraint systems to prevent whiplash injury using real-world crash data linked to insurance claims data in Victoria, Australia. It was found that whiplash-reducing head restraint systems are associated with a statistically significant reduction in the odds of driver and front seat passenger whiplash injury in a vehicle struck in a rear-end collision of 11.6 % (95 % CI 0.20 %, 21.6 %). The results indicate that whiplash-reducing head restraint systems are an effective technology for reducing the risk of whiplash injury to drivers and front seat passengers in a vehicle struck in a rear-end collision. Considering that around a quarter of all casualty crashes involving passenger and light commercial vehicles are rear-end, the fitment of whiplash-reducing head restraint systems to all vehicles as a standard safety feature would likely see a significant reduction in the incidence of whiplash injury.

Anthropometric characteristics and traffic accident circumstances of patients with isolated whiplash injury in University Clinical Hospital Mostar.

Aim To investigate anthropometric characteristics and traffic accident circumstances of subjects with isolated whiplash injury. Methods This cross sectional study involved 75 subjects from traffic accidents with isolated whiplash injury classified by Quebec Task Force (QTF). Anthropometric data were collected as well as claims about circumstances of traffic accidents. Results Distribution of 1st (28; 37.3%), 2nd (25; 33.3%) and 3rd (22; 29.3%) grade of whiplash injury was almost equal. Females had smaller anthropometric measurements than males; neck circumference was the most significant difference between males and females in the context of whiplash injury. The most frequent collision mechanism was impact to front (26; 34.7%) or to rear end (26; 34.7%) of a small passenger's car. Assertions of participants were that their car damage was significant (37; 49.2%) or total (24; 32%). A total of 38 (50.7%) participants claimed that they were not wearing safety belt and 52 (69.3%) did not find themselves responsible for accident. Conclusion Driving habits of our participants facilitate incidence of whiplash injuries, especially in vulnerable groups such as women and elderly.

Whiplash-Associated Disorders: Occupant Kinematics and Neck Morphology.

Synopsis Despite considerable research effort, the incidence of whiplash injury during automotive collisions has continued to rise. This is due, at least in part, to a limited recognition of biomechanical injury mechanisms and factors influencing injury risk. While automotive safety modifications reduced injury risk in some cases, impact on the overall whiplash incidence was limited. This is likely attributable to significant occupant-related differences that have a profound impact on injury risk. Many of those differences were outlined in research studies, and examples include female sex and the associated sex-based anthropometrical variation that can affect seating orientation; cervical spinal posture; and anatomical attributes, including cervical column slenderness and neck muscle morphometry. This review highlights these anatomical attributes and explains, based on biomechanical concepts, the method by which these attributes may alter cervical spine response during automotive rear impacts to affect injury risk. The biomechanical explanations are based on existing studies that have incorporated postmortem human subjects, computational models, and anthropomorphic test devices (ie, crash test dummies), as well as medical imaging in human volunteers. These biomechanical explanations may provide improved understanding of injury risk. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2016;46(10):834-844. doi:10.2519/jospt.2016.6846.

No cash no whiplash?: Influence of the legal system on the incidence of whiplash injury

Whiplash injury has been a continuous source of controversy due to its association with litigation. We studied the incidence of whiplash associated disorder (WAD) in two similar socioeconomic areas and carried out a retrospective study based on the hypothesis that the Spanish law 30/1995 might have an affect on the incidence and duration of cervical symptoms and the persistence of impairment. More than 10,000 patients injured in traffic accidents were studied over a period three years. Of these, only patients with an initial diagnosis of whiplash injury were included in the study. Patients with other injuries were excluded. The patients were classified into two groups: Galicia-Spain and North-Central Portugal (depending on where the accident took place and the medico-legal evaluation procedure in force). Statistical analysis was made using SPSS 13.0 and Statistix 8.0. We found a statistically significant difference between Spain and Portugal in the incidence of WAD and in the duration of symptoms. The incongruities caused by the compulsory application of Spanish law arise from the fact that evaluation on a points scale of impairment does not always reflect the functional state of the injured person.

Incidence and Outcome of Whiplash Injury After Multiple Trauma

A retrospective study of 101 consecutive polytrauma patients with regard to whiplash injury. To investigate the incidence and evaluate long-term outcome of whiplash injury following high-energy trauma. Chronic whiplash injury has been widely reported in the literature, following low-energy trauma. Very few studies exist on whiplash injury following high-energy trauma. A total of 101 consecutive polytrauma patients admitted to our Level I Trauma Center over a 2-year period, fulfilling the inclusion criteria (age >18 years, high-energy trauma [a fall from a height >2 m, road traffic accidents with speed >30 km/h], and Injury Severity Score >16), were assessed. Whiplash injury was defined according to Quebec Task Force guidelines. The study group (n = 13) included patients who developed whiplash injury symptoms and the control group (n = 88) those who did not. The Neck Disability Index was calculated as an outcome measure for patients complaining of whiplash injury symptoms. The mean follow-up was 17 months. The chi2 and Student t tests were used for the statistical analysis (SPSS 12.1; SPSS, Inc., Chicago, IL). Only 13 out of 101 patients (1 female/12 male) (13%) complained of whiplash injury. There was a significantly higher rate of neck pain at triage (P < 0.001) and higher combined mean of Abbreviated Injury Score of upper torso (P < 0.0001) in the study group, elucidating the cause of whiplash injury. The Neck Disability Index was <24 points, indicating only mild-to-moderate disability in these patients. Whiplash injury incidence in this study (13%) was similar to the incidence of neck pain in the general population. The incidence of whiplash injury following polytrauma was found to be low in our study. There is no dose-response relation between magnitude of trauma severity and incidence of whiplash injury.

Incidence of whiplash injury and outcome in 101 consecutive polytrauma (ISS >16) patients

Incidence of whiplash injury and outcome in 101 consecutive polytrauma (ISS >16) patients

Persistent Symptoms After Whiplash Injuries Implications for Prognosis and Management

The incidence of whiplash injuries of the neck has been increasing in recent years as a result of the use of seat belts, changes in automobile design, and growth in traffic loads. Physicians see many patients with this problem, a significant proportion of whom suffer from persistent symptoms. Many patients present a puzzling array of cognitive, neurologic, and musculoskeletal symptoms that challenge the clinician and are further confused by legal and compensation claims. Management is based almost completely on empirical approaches, and much research is needed to clarify this neglected problem. This article reviews and attempts to analyze the current information about the epidemiology, etiology, management, and prognostic issues of persistent whiplash injuries.

Whiplash as a total-body injury

In our highly active society, individuals and groups push their physical limits. Consequently, the incidence of whiplash injury is increasing. Patients may not recover rapidly or fully from a whiplash injury, thus leading to chronic neck and spinal symptoms and litigation. Physicians must recognize whiplash injury as a manifestation of total-body trauma and treat accordingly, with particular emphasis on alleviating abnormal tension of the fascia. Precise description of the accident, followed by healing methods tailored to well-defined bodily injury, aids in effective management. Whiplash injury poses a challenge to the osteopathic physician to sharpen skills in defining the injury based on the details of the accident and to incorporate myofascial release treatment into traditional modes of whiplash treatment. Fortunately, many highly respected osteopathic physicians have written extensively on the subject and the tools are at hand to refine treatment for both acute and chronic whiplash.

Electroencephalograms in whiplash injury. A comparison of electroencephalographic abnormalities with those present in closed head injuries.

The incidence of whiplash injuries is increasing with the increased automobile travel of our society. The usual history of patients suffering from whiplash injury is that they were involved in an automobile accident, the majority being struck from behind and having the head and neck subjected to hyperextension-flexion movement. In some patients, the vehicle in which they were passengers was struck from the side, inducing a lateral to-and-fro motion to the head and neck. Little attention has been paid to the status of the brain in patients who have sustained such an injury. The psychoneurotic-type symptomatology which is common in these patients has, by most authors, been attributed to psychological causes, and little consideration has been given to the fact that these apparent psychoneurotic symptoms might be organically determined and due to injury to the brain. In a previous publication1the subject of brain injury complicating whiplash injuries was