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Acetabular fractures before and after the introduction of seatbelt legislation
1Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, Edmonton.
Objectives:
To compare the incidence and severity of acetabular fractures and associated injuries before and after seatbelt legislation.
Design:
A retrospective study.
Setting:
Two major trauma centres, which are teaching hospitals.
Patients:
Three hundred and ninety-three patients who sustained acetabular fractures during the 5 years before and 5 years after seatbelt legislation was enacted. Of these, the fractures in 198 patients (50.4%) resulted from a motor vehicle accident.
Main Outcome Measures:
The number and severity of acetabular fractures and associated injuries.
Results:
There has been a significant reduction in the number of acetabular fractures (p = 0.005) since seatbelt use became mandatory, and the complexity of the fractures has decreased. There has also been a marked reduction in associated injuries, such as fractures of other bones, and head, chest and abdominal injuries (p < 0.001).
Conclusion:
The seatbelt law has been a useful preventive measure, resulting in a reduction in the incidence of acetabular fractures and associated injuries.