Citation

Riggins RS, Kraus JF, Franti CE, Borhani NO. Proc. IRCOBI 1976; 4: 225-232.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1976, International Research Council on Biomechanics of Injury)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Spinal-cord injuries sustained by residents of 18 selected counties of California were reviewed. Sixty-eight individuals were identified as having sustained spinal-cord injuries as pedestrians and details of their accidents and injuries are the subject of this report. The pedestrian is particularly vulnerable to serious or fatal injury when struck by a motor vehicle. The distribution of injuries was surprisingly even, with head, neck, trunk, and extremities all receiving about an equal share. Fatal injuries occurred predominantly in the neck. Severance of the spinal-cord at the base of the skull was the most frequent fatal injury in the cervical area, whereas patients with thoracic spinal-cord injuries quite frequently had ruptures of the heart and aorta.