Craniofacial Trauma in Injured Motorcyclists

Failure to wear a helmet resulted in a significantly higher incidence of craniofacial injury among patients involved in motorcycle crashes, but did not affect spinal injury or mortality, and alcohol usage seemed to correlate with failure to use helmets.

Abstract

Helmets are effective in decreasing maxillofacial trauma in motorcycle crashes. The impact, however, of motorcycle crashes on the location and patterns of craniofacial injuries among helmeted versus unhelmeted patients has not been examined. In the present study, 331 injured motorcyclists were evaluated to compare the incidence of craniofacial and spinal injury in 77 (23%) helmeted and 254 (77%) nonhelmeted patients. Nonhelmeted motorcyclists were three times more likely to suffer facial fractures (5.2% vs. 16.1%) than those wearing helmets (p 100 mg/dL), in contrast to 37.9% of the nonhelmeted motorcyclists (p < or = 0.01). Failure to wear a helmet resulted in a significantly higher incidence of craniofacial injury among patients involved in motorcycle crashes, but did not affect spinal injury or mortality. Alcohol usage seemed to correlate with failure to use helmets. Helmet use should be legally mandated on a national level for all motorcyclists.