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May 26, 2004 — Helmets saved the
lives of approximately 692 motorcyclists
in 2002, according to the National Center
for Statistics and Analysis of the National
Highway Traffic Safety. If all motorcyclists
had worn helmets, an additional 449 lives
could have been saved.
Neurosurgeons revealed findings of a recent
study determining whether helmets help
or harm adolescent motorcyclists or ATV
riders during an accident, at the 72nd
Annual Scientific Meeting of the American
Association of Neurological Surgeons.
It is reported that head and cervical
spine injuries in both adults and children
are the leading cause of disability and
death in motorcycle and all-terrain vehicle
(ATV) accidents. Some recent studies have
stated that helmets actually increase the
risk of skull base and cervical-spine injuries
secondary to the swelling of the head.
"Concern has been raised in the medical
community regarding the effectiveness of
helmets to prevent cervical spine and skull
base injuries," said Charles L. Rosen,
M.D., an author of the study. "Our
study was necessary to determine the safety
and reliability of an adolescent wearing
a helmet to prevent injury, a preventative
step taken by millions of people every
day."
Authors of the recent study evaluated
the records of all ATV and motorcycle collisions
in West Virginia involving individuals
under the age of 18 from Jan. 1, 1991,
to Dec. 31, 2000. The criteria reviewed
for each individual were helmet use, injury
and severity to the central nervous system,
discharge status, blood-alcohol levels,
urine toxicity, hospital stay, age and
gender.
Cervical spine injuries were classified
by the location of the fracture, and the
presence and severity of any spinal cord
injury. Data on the use of ethanol and
drugs were studied. Authors found that
only 8 percent (20 of 255) of motorcyclists
injured were under the age of 18, and that
of this group, approximately 47 percent
were not wearing their helmets. In comparison,
32 percent of ATV riders were minors, and
an overwhelming 79 percent were not wearing
helmets.
Results of the study also revealed that
16 percent (4 of 25) of injured riders
who wore a helmet had skull base and/or
cervical-spine injuries, versus 23 percent
(16 of 70) of non-helmeted riders. About
1 of 25 of the riders who wore a helmet
had a cervical spine injury, compared to
4 of 70 riders who did not wear a helmet.
The immediate cause of death in two thirds
of deaths was head or neck trauma. Overall,
there was a 19 percent increase in the
estimated number of injuries from 1999
to 2000.
"Helmets repeatedly have been shown
to reduce the risk of head injury," said
Dr. Rosen. "They reduce the incidence
of skull base fractures and do not increase
the risk of cervical spine injuries." Authors
of the study also noted that helmets reduce
the risk of head injury by 64 percent.
However, even with the increasing numbers
of central nervous system injuries and
even fatalities, only 21 states have some
form of helmet law for ATV use.
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