LOW VELOCITY IMPACTS CAUSE WHIPLASH

LOW VELOCITY IMPACTS CAUSE WHIPLASH

There are many cases in which the trauma victim was injured and there was little or no damage to the vehicle. Low velocity collisions and their resulting injuries have been a topic of intense debate in both clinical and legal practices. Duffy et al. (2004) published a case report in a prominent orthopedic journal outlining whiplash-associated disorder following a low velocity collision in the driver of a bumper car. The paper reported, “Although radiology is not 100% sensitive for skeletal injury, the authors maintain that soft-tissue damage is a more likely cause of Whiplash Associated Disorder (WAD) in patients with negative imaging studies” (Duffy et al., 2004, p.1884). This was a case resulting in debilitating, chronic neck pain after a low-velocity collision with negative MRI, CT scan, and electromyography. Objective evidence of injury and indication for adequate surgical treatment was established using cervical range of motion analysis. In conclusion the authors state, “Considering the complex mechanism of trauma, a common pathophysiology is not likely among all individuals with WAD, and their condition must therefore be assessed individually in light of the clinical syndrome and the objective findings” (Duffy et al., 2004, p.1884).

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Reference:

Duffy, M. F., Stuberg, W., DeJong, S., Gold, K. V., & Nystrom, N. A. (2004). Case report: Whiplash-associated disorder from a low-velocity bumper car collision: History, evaluation, and surgery. Spine, 29(17), 1881-1884.