Typical Injuries Caused by Severe Motor Vehicle Accidents

Some injuries that are regularly related to motor accident collisions include orthopedic injuries (broken bones for example), closed head injuries (also sometimes referred to as a traumatic brain injury), lacerations, and soft tissue injuries.

Over the past 20 years injuries as a whole have been reduced due to the advancement of safety features and mandatory seat belt use across the country. Air bags have also reduced a significant number of orthopedic injuries. 

When we say orthopedic we are talking about the study of the muscular skeletal system.  This primarily means the bones but also includes the muscles tendons, ligaments and joints that connect them all.  Oftentimes, when we say orthopedic injuries related to motor vehicle accidents we're talking about fractures of bones but what many do not realize is that orthopedic injuries do not just refer to broken bones.  An orthopedic surgeon is typically consulted after a severe car accident when there is a significant break in the bone that is displaced. A displaced bone is a bone that is no longer properly aligned. A reduction of the bone must be performed to realign it.  An orthopedic surgeon can realign that bone without surgery sometimes and this is called a closed reduction.  A closed reduction is when a doctor, typically an orthopedic surgeon, manipulates the bones or bone fragments without surgical intervention.  An example of a closed reduction is when someone's shoulder is dislocated and a doctor manipulates the body so as to "pop" it back into place.

The other method of reduction is called an open reduction where there is a surgical intervention.  This method is used when the fracture or displacement is more severe. Incisions are made in the skin, the bones are exposed and then manipulated to allow proper alignment. The bones may then be held together by wire, rods, pins and screws; these are called internal fixators.  There are external fixators as well.  An example of an external fixator for a car accident victim would include the bars that you may see above someone's arm or leg that has been broken which are then suspended by pins that have been implanted through the skin and on to the bone. This device may be used to elongate the bone so that there is not excess pressure on the fracture site. After a period of time the device is removed, again using a surgical procedure by an orthopedic surgeon.  Then the limb can be casted or splinted to hold the bone in place.

There are many different kinds of fractures that may occur during a motor vehicle collision. A simple fracture is just that a bone is broken but is not a complicated break and there still is proper alignment and it is typically straight across or the break is in such a manner that simple casting will fix it.

A common comminuted fracture is when the subject bone is in many pieces, lay people refer to this as the bone being shattered.

A closed fracture is when the bone breaks however there is no puncture, open wound or laceration through the skin. This is in contrast to what is referred to as an open fracture where there is puncturing of the skin by the bone. Sometimes with an open fracture the bone remains exposed through the skin but it can recede back into the body. In that case the fracture still would be considered an open fracture.

Other fracture types include: greenstick fracture, transverse fracture, and oblique fracture.

A greenstick fracture is typically seen in children because it deals with young soft bone where the force of the impact causes the bone to bend and partially break.

A transverse fracture is a fracture that is on a right angle from the axis of the bone. This may also classify as being a simple fracture. 

An oblique fracture is a break that is on an angle or slant along the bones long axis.

A longitudinal fracture is where the break extends along the length of the bone.

A compound fracture where there are two adjacent bones that are both fractured and gather at the same approximate location. This is seen in the forearm with the radius & ulna and in the shin area with the tibia & fibula.

A spiral fracture is just what the name implies; the fracture crosses the bone in a spiral pattern that changes height meaning is not a straight across fracture from east to west but may go in a more diagonal pattern as it rotates to the other side of the bone.