Airbag protection versus compartment intrusion effect determines the pattern of injuries in multiple trauma motor vehicle crashes

Loo, George T.; Siegel, John H.; Dischinger, Patricia C.; Rixen, Dieter; Burgess, Andrew R.; Addis, Michael D.; O'Quinn, Timothy; McCammon, Laurie; Schmidhauser, Carl B.; Marsh, Philip; Hodge, Philippa A.; Bents, Frances

Affiliations

¹Departments of Surgery and of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Injury Sciences, New Jersey Medical School-UMDNJ, Newark, New Jersey

²Charles McC. Mathias National Study Center for Trauma and EMS and Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems, University of Maryland at Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland

³Dynamic Science, Inc. Annapolis, Maryland

Abstract and keywords

Objective: A prospective study of the interaction between airbag (AB) and seat-belt (Bt) protection versus vehicular compartment (VC) intrusion effects on injury patterns in motor vehicle crash (MVC) trauma patients.

Methods: Two hundred MVC patients, nonejected drivers or front seat passengers wth multiple trauma or severe lower extremity (LE) trauma admitted to two Level I trauma centers.

Results: In frontal crashes, airbags (AB) more than Bt reduced Glasgow Coma Scale severity in brain injury, face fracture, shock, and the need for MVC extrication (all p <0.05). Frontal AB also had a protective effect on LE fractures (41% vs. 66%, p <0.01), but had no significant protective effect on pelvic fractures. When AB protection was present, it prevented brain and face fracture injuries caused by impact contacts and reduced the incidence of these injuries resulting from VC intrusions (p <0.05). Thoracoabdominal injuries resulting from steering wheel intrusion showed AB protection against intrusions of twice the magnitude of those seen in non-AB vehicles (p <0.05). In frontal MVCs, AB reduced LE fracture contact injuries but did not prevent LE fractures resulting from intrusions of instrument panel, toepan, or floor pedal structures. In lateral MVCs, Bt did not protect against brain, face, thorax, or pelvic injuries.

Conclusion: Safety measures beyond frontal airbags must address frontal crash LE injuries induced by steering wheel, instrument panel, and toepan passenger compartment structure intrusions. Lateral crash injuries may profit from side AB supplemental restraint protection.

Keywords: Motor vehicle crash injuries; Airbags and seat-belt protection; Passenger compartment intrusion injuries; MVC multiple trauma; Multiple systems trauma; Blunt trauma; Injury prevention; Medical costs

Links

DOI: 10.1097/00005373-199612000-00001

PubMed: 8970544

WoS: A1996VY40700001

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