Epidemiology and injury biomechanics of motor vehicle related trauma to the human spine

Approximately 40% of spinal cord injuries occur in motor vehicle accidents, resulting in high risks of disability and fatality. This chapter on epidemiology and injury biomechanics of motor vehicle related trauma to the human spine is from a comprehensive textbook on occupant and vehicle responses in rollovers. The authors report on a study in which motor vehicle accident related epidemiologic data were obtained from clinical and computerized accident (National Accident Sampling System, NASS) files. The authors undertook the study to determine the most commonly injured anatomic levels of the cervical spine, to classify these injuries based on an impairment scale, to determine the mechanism of injury at each spinal level, to evaluate the differences (if any) between the patient (survivors) and fatality data with respect to the location and mechanism of injury, and to compare this data obtained from a localized population with literature results and national samples. Results show that while injuries to the cervical column are complex and may occur at any spinal level, they concentrate statistically in two primary zones: at the craniocervical junction for fatal victims, and in the lower cervical spine for survivors. A strong association was also found between craniofacial and cervical spine trauma.