Motorcycle Helmets and Spinal Cord Injury: Helmet Usage and Type

The objective of this study was to assess the role of helmets and helmet type in relation to injury to the cervical spinal cord. It was based on a consecutive series of 110 motorcyclists with neurological damage to the spinal cord admitted alive (referred to as acute survivors) to a specialist spinal cord injuries unit at an Australian hospital. Cases were those with injury to the cervical spinal cord and controls were those with injury to the cord of other segments of the spine. The study showed that there was no significant difference in the odds of cervical spinal cord injury among unhelmeted and helmeted motorcyclist acute survivors. In addition, it confirmed the findings of a recently published Australian fatality study demonstrating no difference in the odds of cervical spinal cord injury among full-face and open-face helmet wearers. These results contrasted with the findings of earlier studies. In consideration of the limitations of existing research on the role of helmets in spinal cord injury, further study is required based on a larger series or a series having a higher proportion of non-wearers and open-face helmet wearers, including both survivors and those killed, and including assessment of cord and non-cord spinal injuries separately, helmet type, head impact, and helmet retention.