Seat belts and injury patterns: evolution and present perspectives

Hand injury in a child--a rare adverse effect of rear seatbelt use.

“…This protection of occupants from injury is currently being extended to rear seat passengers as a result of legislation which came into force in July 1989 (Motor Vehicles Regulations, 1989). However, some form of injuries such as neck sprains, chest wall injuries and torsional injuries of the head and neck have increased (Banerjee, 1989). We report on a rare injury that highlights two factors regarding rear seat belt use.…”

Fasten your seatbelts: innovation in regional anaesthesia is a bumpy ride

“…Early studies of motor vehicle accidents demonstrated a significant reduction in major and fatal injuries attributed to the use of seatbelts that ranged from 35% to 80% depending on the study . In the UK, registered cars were required to have front seatbelts by 1965 although mandatory use of them did not become law until 1981 . Initially, seatbelts only offered two‐point restraint (i.e.…”

“…While mortality data strongly support any seatbelt over no seatbelt, the two‐point diagonal design is considered the least effective and most dangerous in terms of causing injury . Diagonal two‐point seatbelts can potentially cause soft tissue injury to the neck, chest and breasts as well as rib and sternal fractures . Potential injuries associated with two‐point lap seatbelts include intra‐abdominal trauma such as intestinal perforation, haematomas from mesenteric tears and vessel injury, gallbladder rupture, pancreatic damage and closed loop obstruction .…”

“…Diagonal two‐point seatbelts can potentially cause soft tissue injury to the neck, chest and breasts as well as rib and sternal fractures . Potential injuries associated with two‐point lap seatbelts include intra‐abdominal trauma such as intestinal perforation, haematomas from mesenteric tears and vessel injury, gallbladder rupture, pancreatic damage and closed loop obstruction . Skeletal injury in the form of pelvic and spinal fractures or ligament disruptions has also been associated with lap‐only seatbelts .…”

Unstable Less Common Chance Fracture

“… [1] If a fracture has been caused by a seatbelt, a contusion over the trunk may be present which can alert the physician to the possibility of a chance fracture. [3] Chance fractures extend horizontally from the tip of the transverse process on one side through the pedicles and laminae to the tip of the opposite transverse process. The fracture may involve the posterior part of the vertebral body.…”