Acceleration related injury of the cervical spine in restrained car drivers. Frequency, causes and long-term results

In an analysis of 3,838 restrained car drivers, the proportion of accelerat ion related injury of the cervical spine increased from under 10 % in 1985 to over 30 % in 1997. These injuries occurred mainly in the case of head-on or multiple collisions. Letters were sent to 1,136 of the injured persons, and of the 138 patients who returned the questionnaires, 121 (88 %) were s till suffering from their symptoms. It was a question of pain (74 %), tensi on (6 %) and stiffness (5 %) in the head (27 %), neck (55 %) and shoulder ( 8 %) area. The duration of the complaints was the longest after multiple co llisions. In addition to a slight influence of the accompanying injuries on the duration of complaints, the individual constitution seems to be an imp ortant determining factor. In order to resolve the difficulties of conducti ng of this retrospective study, prospective studies are necessary which inc lude documentation of diagnosis, treatment protocols, duration and type of complaints.