Mortality and injury patterns associated with roof crush in rollover crashes

Mandell, Samuel P.; Kaufman, Robert; Mack, Christopher D.; Bulger, Eileen M.

Affiliations

¹Department of Trauma Surgery, Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, WA 98104-1520, United States

²Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, University of Washington, P.O. Box 359960, 325 Ninth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104-1520, United States

Abstract and keywords

Background: In the United States, a significant number of spine injuries, traumatic brain injuries (TBI), and deaths result from motor vehicle rollover crashes each year though they make up a small percentage of total crashes. We sought to explore the relationship between these injuries and the degree of roof crush.

Methods: We searched the NASS CDS database for belted, adult (≥16), non-middle seat passengers involved in rollover crashes from 1993 to 2006. We also searched the CIREN database for illustrative cases. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the relationship between different levels of roof crush and mortality, severe injury (AIS ≥3) to the spine, spinal cord, and head injury.

Results: The risk of mortality, TBI, and spine injury all increased as the degree of roof crush increased. For mortality increased risk occurred at >15 cm [15–30 cm: OR 2.089 (95% CI: 1.461–2.987); >30 cm: OR 6.301 (95% CI: 4.369–9.087)]. For TBI, increased risk was seen above 15 cm crush [15–30 cm: OR 1.52 (95% CI: 1.045–2.21); >30 cm: OR 3.672 (95% CI: 2.456–5.490)]. For spine injury increased risk was seen above 8 cm crush [8–15 cm: OR 1.968 (95% CI 1.273–3.043); 15–30 cm: OR 2.530 (95% CI 1.634–3.917); ≥30 cm OR 2.682 (95% CI 1.474, 4.877). Results were similar across the different statistical models.

Conclusion: There is an association between the degree of roof crush and mortality, spine injury, and head injury in rollover crashes.

Keywords: Rollover; Roof crush; Roof intrusion; Occupant safety

Links

DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2010.02.013

PubMed: 20441849

WoS: 000278504700046

History

Received: 2009-07-16

Revised: 2010-01-21

Accepted: 2020-02-23

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Cited By (14)

Year	Entry
2011	Friedman D, Mattos G, Paver J. The development of a dynamic rollover rating test. In: Proceedings of the 22nd International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV). June 13-16, 2011; Washington, DC.
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2013	Grzebieta R, McIntosh A, Mattos G, Simmons K, Rechnitzer G, Mongiardini M, Dal Nevo R, Jackson C. Implementation of the UNSW Jordan rollover system at Sydney’s Crashlab test facility. In: Proceedings of the 23rd International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV). May 27-30, 2013; Seoul, South Korea.
2013	Ryu SU, Jin W, Shin YC, Bae KS, Lee KB. Study of optimal body structural design for coupe-type vehicles in rollover events. In: Proceedings of the 23rd International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV). May 27-30, 2013; Seoul, South Korea.
2013	Paver JG, Friedman D, Jimenez JA. Correlating human and flexible dummy head-neck injury performance. In: Proceedings of the 23rd International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV). May 27-30, 2013; Seoul, South Korea.
2015	Friedman D, Jimenez J. Matching structural injury risk statistics and dummy injury measures for a dynamic rollover rating and regulatory compliance test. In: Proceedings of the 24th International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV). June 8-11, 2015; Gothenburg, Sweden.
2015	Mongiardini M, Grzebieta RH, Mattos GA, Bambach M, Rechnitzer G, McIntosh AS, Nevo RD. Analysis of vehicle roof weakness and potential for neck injuries from experimental and simulated dynamic rollover tests. In: Proceedings of the 24th International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV). June 8-11, 2015; Gothenburg, Sweden.
2015	McGehee DV, Kaufman RP, Buresh CT, Harland KK, Lilienthal MA. Utilization of crash scene photos of vehicle damage and intrusion to improve trauma care preparedness. In: Proceedings of the 24th International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV). June 8-11, 2015; Gothenburg, Sweden.
2015	Ridella SA, Bojanowski C. Sensitivity analysis on the influence of vehicle factors on the kinematic response of a mid‐sized male crash dummy during a simulation of a controlled rollover crash. In: Proceedings of the 2015 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Injury. September 9-11, 2015; Lyon, France.596-607.
2013	Bambach MR, Grzebieta RH, McIntosh AS, Mattos GA. Cervical and thoracic spine injury from interactions with vehicle roofs in pure rollover crashes. Accid Anal Prev. January 2013;50:34-43.
2017	Ridella SA. The Contribution of Vehicle, Occupant and Crash Factors to the Risk of Injury as a Result of Vehicle Rollover: New Approaches to Data and Modeling Analysis [PhD thesis]. Gothenburg, Sweden: Chalmers University of Technology; 2017.
2014	Newell R. Are Inversion, Posture, Motion and Muscle Effects Important to Spinal Alignment? [PhD thesis]. Vancouver, BC: University of British Columbia; April 2014.
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2013	Lockerby JW. Roof Deformation in Vehicle Rollover: The Case for Including an Energy Criterion in Vehicle Crashworthiness Evaluation [Master's thesis]. Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia; December 2013.