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Lower extremity injuries in lateral impact: a retrospective study
R F Banglmaier1, S W Rouhana, P Beillas
1Ford Motor Company.
Summary
Lateral impact vehicle crashes show distinct lower extremity injury patterns. Nearside impacts more frequently cause pelvis/hip injuries, while farside impacts result in more thigh, knee, leg, and foot/ankle injuries.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Injury Biomechanics
- Traffic Safety
Background:
- Understanding occupant protection in vehicle crashes is crucial.
- Lateral impacts present unique injury risks to vehicle occupants.
- Previous research has not fully detailed lower extremity injury variations in lateral impacts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and compare lower extremity injury patterns in nearside versus farside lateral impacts.
- To analyze crash characteristics and occupant-vehicle interactions contributing to these injuries.
- To identify potential injury mechanisms for different impact scenarios.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of the NASS/CDS database (1993-2000).
- Examination of injury patterns, crash characteristics, and occupant-vehicle interactions.
- Focus on lower extremity injuries (pelvis/hip, thigh, knee, leg, foot/ankle) and their relation to impact direction and severity (AIS2 and AIS3).
Main Results:
- Significantly different injury patterns were observed between nearside and farside impacts.
- Nearside impacts showed a higher proportion of pelvis/hip injuries (70.4%) compared to farside impacts (38.3%).
- Farside impacts had a higher proportion of thigh (4.5% vs 2.8%), knee (16.7% vs 6.2%), leg (19.5% vs 10.1%), and foot/ankle (14.7% vs 5.6%) injuries.
Conclusions:
- Lower extremity injury patterns vary significantly based on the side of lateral impact.
- Impact direction (e.g., 10 and 2 o'clock with rearward force) influences injury types.
- Findings can inform the development of improved vehicle safety systems and injury prevention strategies.