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Traumatic fractures as a result of motor vehicle collisions in children and adolescents

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Abstract

Purpose

We investigated the incidence and pattern of traumatic fractures resulting from motor vehicle collisions in a population of children and adolescents (≤18 years old) and to determine the risk factors for nerve injury.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 734 patients admitted to our university-affiliated hospitals from 2001 to 2010.

Results

This study enrolled 498 male (67.8%) and 236 female (32.2%) patients aged 10.9 ± 5.3 years old. The most common injuries were to pedestrians, and the most common fracture sites (438, 59.7%) were to lower extremities (n = 441, 60.0%). A total of 201 (27.4%) patients experienced a nerve injury. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that age (P = 0.014), lower-extremity (P = 0.000), craniofacial (P = 0.000) and spinal (P = 0.000) fractures were risk factors for nerve injury. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that craniofacial [odds ratio (OR) = 9.003, 95% confidence interval (CI) 5.159–15.711, P = 0.000)] and spinal (experiencedOR = 10.141, 95% CI: 4.649–22.121, P = 0.011) fractures were independent risk factors for nerve injury.

Conclusions

Patients in the 15- to 18-years old group and drivers had the largest sex ratio and highest frequencies of both nerve injury and early complications. Craniofacial and spinal fractures were independent risk factors for nerve injury. It is therefore important to focus on these risk factors to determine the presence of a nerve injury so that early, timely diagnosis and targeted treatment can be provided.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Foundation of the Liaoning Province Doctor Startup Fund (201601389), the State Key Laboratory of Robotics (2017-O01), the Open Project Program of the State Key Lab of CAD & CG (A1718), the Open Project Program of the State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn and Combined Injury (SKLKF201705) and the State Key Laboratory of Materials Processing and Die & Mold Technology (P2018-011).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopedics, General Hospital of Shenyang Military Area Command of Chinese PLA, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, China

    Hongwei Wang, Jun Liu & Liangbi Xiang

  2. State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Science, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, China

    Hongwei Wang, Yiwen Zhao & Jianda Han

  3. State Key Laboratory of Materials Processing and Die & Mould Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China

    Hongwei Wang

  4. State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn and Combined Injury, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China

    Hongwei Wang

  5. Department of Orthopedics, Xinqiao Hospital, The Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400037, China

    Yue Zhou

  6. Department of Radiology, Southwest Hospital, The Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China

    Lan Ou

Authors
  1. Hongwei Wang
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  2. Yue Zhou
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  3. Jun Liu
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  4. Lan Ou
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  7. Liangbi Xiang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hongwei Wang.

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All listed authors have made substantial contributions to the manuscript and do not have any conflicts of interest.

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Wang, H., Zhou, Y., Liu, J. et al. Traumatic fractures as a result of motor vehicle collisions in children and adolescents. International Orthopaedics (SICOT) 42, 625–630 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-018-3777-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-018-3777-2

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