SEATBELT INJURIES OF THE SPINE AND ABDOMEN

AT LEAST 40 CASES OF SERIOUS INJURY TO THE SPINE HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH THE LAP SEATBELT. THE TRAUMA TO SPINE IS PRODUCED BY SEVERE FLEXION OF TORSO OVER BELT, CAUSING A TEARING OF POSTERIOR ELEMENTS, WITH LESS INVOLVEMENT OF VERTEBRAL BODIES. ONE OF THE INTERESTING INTERMEDIATE FORMS OF VERTEBRAL INJURY IS THE CHANCE FRACTURE, A HORIZONTAL SPLITTING AND SEPARATION OF POSTERIOR VERTEBRAL ARCH, INVOLVING THE PEDICLES, LAMINA, TRANSVERSE PROCESSES, AND SPINOUS PROCESS, WITH VARIATIONS. FOLLOWING SEATBELT TRAUMA TO THE ABDOMEN, THE MOST COMMON INJURY IS PERFORATION OF THE SMALL BOWEL WITH ASSOCIATED TRAUMA OF ITS MESENTERY. INJURY TO ALMOST EVERY HOLLOW AND SOLID VISCUS IN THE ABDOMEN HAS BEEN REPORTED, AND MULTIPLE INJURIES ARE COMMON. COMBINED INJURIES OF THE SPINE AND INTRA-ABDOMINAL CONTENTS OCCUR. THE DIAGONAL BELT AND THE COMBINATION LAP-AND-DIAGONAL BELT HAVE PRODUCED INJURY TO THE STERNUM, RIBS, AND UPPER ABDOMEN. THE DIAGONAL BELT PREVENTS THE LUMBAR FLEXION FRACTURE SEEN WITH THE LAP BELT BUT MAY PRODUCE A FLEXION-TYPE INJURY IN THE NECK. THE SHOULDER HARNESS USED WITH THE LAP BELT SHOULD BE EVALUATED TO REPLACE THE LAP-AND-DIAGONAL BELT. /AUTHOR/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 3, No 4, PP 833-843, FIGS, TABS, REFS
• Authors:
  • Dehner, J R
• Publication Date: 1971-4

Media Info

• Serial:
  • American Journal of Roentgenology
  • Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Abdomen; Back; Injuries; Manual safety belts; Shoulder harnesses; Thorax; Traffic crashes
• Old TRIS Terms: Back injuries; Shoulder harness
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00221583
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Nat Safety Council Safety Res Info Serv
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 17 2003 12:00AM