Soft tissue neck symptoms following high-energy road traffic accidents

A single-blinded prospective study was performed into the occurrence and frequency of soft tissue neck symptoms of patients involved in high-energy road traffic accidents.

We studied the occurrence of incidental soft tissue neck symptoms in victims of high energy (defined as those severe enough to cause major trauma leading to an injury severity score >16) vehicular collisions causing significant musculoskeletal trauma requiring operative intervention.

Whiplash is considered to be a soft tissue injury of the neck sustained by occupants of motor vehicles. Use of the term in the past had been restricted to hyperextension injuries following a rear impact, but is commonly now used for all types of impact. No relationship has been found between velocity or force of injury and incidence or outcome of whiplash. The preponderance of whiplash after relatively minor vehicular accidents, the unpredictability of who will develop chronic symptoms and the lack of clinical and radiological evidence of a pathological mechanism suggests that psychosocial variables are important factors in determining the development of persistent neck pain.

A total of 36 consecutive patients were recruited who had been involved in high-energy road traffic accidents and had chest, musculoskeletal, or abdominal injuries (ISS > 16) requiring admission for treatment, but who had no diagnosed injury of the cervical spine. Patients were asked in a nonspecific or leading manner at the time of admission and again at least 6 to 8 weeks postinjury if they had any neck symptoms, headaches, or paresthesiae.

Only 2 of the patients interviewed described any whiplash symptoms. All symptoms were resolved at the time of second interview.

Our study demonstrates a surprisingly low incidence of neck symptoms following high-energy road traffic accidents in which patients sustained unrelated injuries requiring treatment.