Relation between motorcycle helmet use and cervical spinal cord injury

A case-control study was conducted to determine the relationship between motorcycle helmets, including type (i.e. partial or full coverage) and fastening status (i.e. loose or firm), and cervical spinal cord injuries (SCIs) in Taiwan. Based on a nationwide registry consisting of 396 motorcycle riders with traumatic SCIs during the 4-year period from July 1992 to June 1996, 229 subjects injured at cervical levels were defined as cases and 167 injured at other spinal levels as controls. Furthermore, additional information on the type and fastening status of the helmet was collected by telephone interview, and 147 subjects, including 79 with cervical and 68 with noncervical lesions, responded. Results of the logistic regression model show that neither different helmet types nor fastening status increased the occurrence of cervical SCIs when motorcycle riders were involved in severe crashes.