The Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network (CIREN) is a multi-disciplinary collaboration of trauma physicians, engineers, epidemiologists, crash investigators and other social scientists researching the “cause and effect” of serious and/or disabling injuries sustained as a result of an automotive collision. CIREN is a network of 10 level 1-trauma centers spanning the United States and investigating approximately 400 crashes per year that result in serious and/or disabling injuries.

The CIREN utilizes several unique processes and tools to research automotive crashes. One such tool utilized is the Medical Outcomes Study 36 – Item Short Form Survey (SF-36). The SF-36 has become one of the most widely used scoring tools for measuring outcomes after multiple trauma events. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the SF-36 scores for CIREN occupants, one year after their crash. Over three hundred CIREN occupants have been followed and responded to the SF-36 on the one-year timeline. These scores were analyzed in conjunction with crash dynamics and occupant factors in an attempt to determine which crash scenarios and injuries result in long-term physical and or mental consequences.

This paper reviews the SF-36 scores for 346 CIREN occupants who were interviewed 12 months after their crash. We attempt to isolate injuries or injury types that show significant long-term consequences and possibly serious injuries that show little longterm issues. Associated factors are analyzed such as crash type, vehicle parameters, age and others.