Non-fatal spine injuries resulting from motorcycle crashes

This study aims to determine spinal injury patterns and identify crash factors commonly associated with serious spinal injury as a result of motorcycle crashes. Data was retrospectively collected from motorcyclists sustaining spinal injuries from road crashes treated at Kuala Lumpur Hospital, Malaysia, over the 5-year period from 2005 to 2009. Each patient's injuries were analyzed by reviewing his or her medical records for radiographic imaging and computed tomography scans.A total of 151 patients were included in this study, of which, males accounted for over 87%. The first lower lumbar (L1) was the most commonly injured vertebral level, followed by the adjacent thoracic vertebra (T12). Fracture to the vertebral body without dislocation was found to be the most frequently observed spinal injury pattern. Injury severities for a majority of patients (65%) were measured at Maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale (MAIS) of 2. Serious spinal injury was associated with thorax or upper-extremity injury.Prevalence of lumbar spinal injury in the study reflects a predominantly low-speed crash among the motorcyclist in the region. Motorcyclists are at greater odd to sustain severe spinal injury when directly striking an object compare to striking the ground during the crash event.