Citation

Parenteau CS, Viano DC, Lövsund P, Tingvall C. Annu. Proc. Assoc. Adv. Automot. Med. 1995; 39: 177-192.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1995, Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine)

DOI

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PMID

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Abstract

Foot-ankle injuries have increased in relative importance in the recent years. As a basis for future countermeasures, an epidemiology study has been undertaken in which Swedish accident data from Folksam Insurance was used. The database consists of 805 foot-ankle injuries out of 57,949 car occupant injuries reported from 1985-1991. The influence of crash location, seating position and occupant age is determined for the frequency and relative risk of foot-ankle injury in car crashes. Frontal car crashes produce 76% of the AIS 2-3 foot-ankle injuries with 13% in side impacts and 8% in roll-overs. The relative risk of AIS 2-3 foot-ankle injury is 13.9 per 1000 injuries in all crash locations and is similar irrespective of seating positions. Ankle fractures and sprain both occur at a rate of 3.7 per 1000 injuries, followed by malleolus fractures at 2.7 and metatarsal fractures at 2.4. The relative foot-ankle injury risk is significantly greater (p lt 0.01) in near oblique-frontal crashes than for 12 o'clock frontals. For drivers in 11 o'clock and front passengers in 1 o'clock, the relative risk is 27.8 per 1000 injuries as compared to 17.5 for drivers and front-passengers in 12 o'clock crashes. Occupant age is not as significant as seating position and crash location; however, there are higher relative risks for rear occupants greater tthan 59 years old in oblique frontal crashes. Using the new AAAM Impairment Injury Scale (IIS), 48% of the foot-ankle injuries are rated with residual impairment IIS 1-2. The relative risk in near-seated occupants is 1.5 times greater in oblique frontal crashes than in frontals. The relative risk for IIS 1-2 impairment in near oblique-frontal crashes is 12.8 per 1000 occupant injuries as compared to 8.3 in frontal crashes.

Language: en