Whiplash

Facts About Whiplash Injuries

Common myths:

• Low speed rear impact crashes (LOSRIC) don’t cause injuries.

• Injuries heal in 6-12 weeks.

• Litigation has an effect on the patient’s recovery.

• The patient’s pre-injury psychological makeup affects recovery.

• Greater vehicle damage=greater occupant injury.

• Accident reconstructionists can predic injury potential.

Crash facts:

• Most injuries occur at crash speeds below 12 mph.

• Most cars withstand 8-12 mph impact without structural damage.

• More then half of all LOSRIC injuries occur without vehicle damage.

• There is no correlation between vehicle damage and outcome.

• The peak acceleration of the head is much greater than the peak acceleration of the vehicle.

• A 5 mph ΔV (delta V or “Change in velocity”) crash typically produces about 10-12 g of acceleration of the occupant’s head.

Occupant Injury Thresholds on rear end Collisions

Statistics of whiplash injury:

• More than 3 million Americans are injured this way each year.

• The reported risk of injury in a low speed rear impact crash (LOSRIC) is 35-68%. The Japanese Automobile Insurance Rating Association reports a 50% neck injury rate.

• About 10% of those injured become permanently disabled.

• “Minor” neck injuries account for up to 60% of all permanent impairment claims.

• So, for every 6,000,000 occupants in LOSRIC:

1. About 3,000,000 will be injured.

2. About 1,500,000 will have chronic pain. About 300,000 of these will also become disabled; usually due to pain.

• Nearly half of all chronic neck pain in America is due to car crashes – mostly LOSRIC.

• About 9% of all Americans suffer from chronic neck pain due to LOSRIC

• Kids are at 2/3 the risk of adults.

Risk factors for injury and/or poor outcome:

• Rear directionimpact.

• Limited range of motion; neurological symptoms after crash

• Ligamentous instability after crash.

• Degenerative disease, headaches, or neck injury or pain prior to crash.

• Head turned at impact, or occupant in poor position at impact.

• Non-awareness of impact.

• Non-failure of seat back.

• The use of seat belt/shoulder harness.

• No head restraint or poor heaf restraint position.

• Female gender or advanced age.

Real world occupants?

• The injury threshold for females, or those caught unaware, or those with:

• Head turned

• Prior injury

• will usually drop below 5 mph, particularly with multiples of these risk factors.

• Prior headaches

• Prior neck pain

• Poor head restraints

• Poor position in car

• Arthitis

• Advance age

• Disc diseas

• Shoulder harness

• Rear impact

• Non-failure of seat