Brief Article
Copyright ©2012 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Orthop. Sep 18, 2012; 3(9): 151-155
Published online Sep 18, 2012. doi: 10.5312/wjo.v3.i9.151
Injury patterns of seniors in traffic accidents: A technical and medical analysis
Stephan Brand, Dietmar Otte, Christian Walter Mueller, Maximilian Petri, Philipp Haas, Timo Stuebig, Christian Krettek, Carl Haasper
Stephan Brand, Dietmar Otte, Christian Walter Mueller, Maximilian Petri, Philipp Haas, Timo Stuebig, Timo Stuebig, Christian Krettek, Carl Haasper, Accident Research Unit, Trauma Department, Medical School Hannover (MHH), D-30625 Hannover, Germany
Author contributions: Brand S, Otte D and Haasper C performed the majority of the research presented; Petri M, Haas P, Mueller CW and Stuebig T were involved in editing the manuscript to the standards required; Otte D and Krettek C coordinated the support and equipment for this work; Brand S and Haasper C designed the study; Brand S wrote the manuscript.
Supported by Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt) and the German Research Association of the Automotive Technology, a department of the VDA (German Association of the Automotive Industry)
Correspondence to: Dr. Stephan Brand, MD, Accident Research Unit, Trauma Department, Medical School Hannover (MHH), Carl-Neuberg-Strasse 1/OE 6230, D-30625 Hannover, Germany. brand.stephan@mh-hannover.de
Telephone: +49-511-5322026 Fax: +49-511-5325877
Received: June 25, 2012
Revised: September 4, 2012
Accepted: September 15, 2012
Published online: September 18, 2012
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the actual injury situation of seniors in traffic accidents and to evaluate the different injury patterns.

METHODS: Injury data, environmental circumstances and crash circumstances of accidents were collected shortly after the accident event at the scene. With these data, a technical and medical analysis was performed, including Injury Severity Score, Abbreviated Injury Scale and Maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale. The method of data collection is named the German In-Depth Accident Study and can be seen as representative.

RESULTS: A total of 4430 injured seniors in traffic accidents were evaluated. The incidence of sustaining severe injuries to extremities, head and maxillofacial region was significantly higher in the group of elderly people compared to a younger age (P < 0.05). The number of accident-related injuries was higher in the group of seniors compared to other groups.

CONCLUSION: Seniors are more likely to be involved in traffic injuries and to sustain serious to severe injuries compared to other groups.

Keywords: Traffic accidents, Seniors, Head injury, Injury severity score, Abbreviated injury scale