An analysis of maximum vehicle G forces and brain injury in motorsports crashes.

Autor: Weaver CS; The Indy Racing League, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA. chsweave@iupui.edu, Sloan BK, Brizendine EJ, Bock H
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Medicine and science in sports and exercise [Med Sci Sports Exerc] 2006 Feb; Vol. 38 (2), pp. 246-9.
DOI: 10.1249/01.mss.0000184773.07870.5e
Abstrakt: Purpose: Traumatic brain injury from automobile crashes is a major source of trauma deaths. The investigation of crashes to understand factors of occupant injuries is an established practice. Our objective was to evaluate the association between vehicle G forces (G) sustained on impact and brain injury in motor sports crashes.
Methods: We analyzed data regarding Indy Racing League (IRL) car crashes from 1996 to 2003 and compared the likelihood of head injury in those drivers who were in a vehicle that sustained an impact of > or =50 G versus those with a lesser impact. The mean maximal G for those with head injury was compared with those without head injury.
Results: We analyzed 374 crashes. A driver in a crash with an impact of > or =50 G developed a head injury 16.0% (30/188) versus 1.6% (3/186) in those of <50 G (P < 0.001). The mean peak G for those with head injury was 79.6 (SD 28.5) versus 50.6 (SD 28.0) in those with no head injury (P < 0.001).
Conclusion: Findings were that IRL car crashes with peak vehicle G > or = 50 were associated with the development of traumatic brain injuries.
Databáze: MEDLINE