New Study on Whiplash and Neck Injury
Researchers conducting a study on Whiplash, neck injury, and forces conclude The [DELTA]V value as measured in trauma impact does not represent a conclusive predictor for cervical spine injury in real-life motor vehicle accidents.
The article states Whiplash injuries remain a barely understood phenomenon. Biomechanical considerations have been based on the assumption that damage to a given material only occurs when the energy that acts on this material is high enough. Thus, energy doses below a defined threshold have been considered harmless. In this context, the parameter delta v ([DELTA]V), which describes the velocity change of a motor vehicle during a collision with another vehicle, has become a widely accepted criterion for the energy that acts on the vehicle during a collision.
The scientific community has not yet reached consensus regarding the threshold value for cervical spine injuries after whiplash. Nonetheless, [DELTA]V threshold values were adopted very early in the history of insurance law as a criterion to accept or deny the claim settlement for whiplash-associated disorders (WADs)
Variability of factors makes it unclear how easily the results from laboratory crash tests can be transferred to real-life accident situations. In order to elucidate these issues, this study analyzes the correlation between [DELTA]V and cervical spine injuries in real-life accidents and questions whether [DELTA]V is a valid predictor for cervical spine injuries following whiplash.
Read the study at Elbel, Martin; Michael Kramer,; Markus Huber-Lang,; Erich Hartwig,; Christoph Dehner,. "Deceleration during 'real life' motor vehicle collisions - a sensitive predictor for the risk of sustaining a cervical spine injury?(Research)(Report)." Patient Safety in Surgery. BioMed Central Ltd. 2009. HighBeam Research. 19 May. 2009 http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-193106338.html
