Air Bag-Induced Orbital Blow-Out Fractures

Although air bags have decreased the risk of serious injury from motor vehicle crashes, their deployment is not innocuous and can result in injury. This article reports on a study that investigated the circumstances that predispose a motor vehicle crash occupant to orbital blow-out fractures. The authors report on a total of 150 orbital fractures that occurred among 2,739 occupants in crashes included in the Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network (CIREN) database from January 1997 to July 2005. Ten orbital blow-out fractures attributed solely to air bag deployment were extracted and four of these are reported in depth. All of these ten crashes had air bag deployment and a frontal or near-frontal principle direction of force. Nine of 10 injured occupants were positioned within the air bag's deployment zone at the time of impact as a result of a forward seat track position, falling asleep at the wheel, being unrestrained, or having decelerated before impact. Six of 10 occupants experiencing orbital blow-out fractures were of shorter than average height. The authors also explore the possible biomechanical reasons for these injuries to the eye socket and surrounding structures. Based on rigorous crash reconstructions, the authors conclude that the orbital blow-out injuries were causally related to air bag deployment.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/0023852X
• Authors:
  • Francis, David O
  • Kaufman, Robert
  • Yueh, Bevan
  • Mock, Charles
  • Nathens, Avery B
• Publication Date: 2006-11

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 1966-1972
• Serial:
  • Laryngoscope
  • Volume: 116
  • Issue Number: 11
  • Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
  • ISSN: 0023-852X

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air bags; Bone fractures; Crash injuries; Eye; Occupant kinetics; Risk assessment; Seat belts; Skeletal system
• Uncontrolled Terms: Unrestrained passengers
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I84: Personal Injuries; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01083181
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 31 2007 7:37AM