Do Bicycle Helmets Protect Against Facial Fractures? An Observational Study From a Level 1 Trauma Centre
Pål Galteland1,2, Mats Døving1,3, Amer Sehic1,3
1Departments of Maxillofacial Surgery.
The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery
|July 23, 2024
Summary
Wearing bicycle helmets significantly reduces the risk of midface fractures in cyclists. However, helmet use does not appear to impact the likelihood of mandible fractures in severe accidents.
Area of Science:
- Trauma surgery
- Orthopedics
- Public health
Background:
- Facial fractures are a common injury in bicycle accidents.
- Helmet use is widely promoted to prevent head injuries, but its effect on facial fractures requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the impact of helmet use on the incidence of various facial fractures in hospitalized bicyclists.
- To analyze the correlation between helmet usage and specific facial bone fractures.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of hospitalized bicyclist data from 2005-2016.
- Inclusion of 1256 bicyclists with known helmet use status.
- Statistical analysis to compare fracture rates between helmeted and unhelmeted cyclists.
Main Results:
- A significant reduction in facial fractures was observed in helmeted cyclists (OR, 0.65; CI, 0.50-0.85; P=0.002).
- Helmet use decreased the odds of zygoma (47%), orbit (46%), nose (43%), and maxilla (33%) fractures.
- No significant effect of helmet use was found on mandible fractures.
Conclusions:
- Bicycle helmet use is effective in reducing the risk of midface fractures.
- Helmet efficacy is limited regarding mandible fractures in severe cycling incidents.
- Promoting helmet use remains crucial for mitigating facial injury risk in cyclists.
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