According to the United States Department of Transportation, torso injuries are the most common among victims on American highways, both fatal and surviving, and spinal injuries are the least frequent, although they are no less serious. We are going to see in each case what the consequences are for the victims.

The most common injuries caused by a car crash

According to the United States Department of Transportation, injuries to the torso are the ones most suffered by victims on American roads, both fatal and those who survive, and spinal injuries are the least frequent. However, they are no less serious about that. We are going to see in each case what the consequences are for the victims.

Torso and chest injuries

Here we must distinguish between chest trauma, which can lead to the rupture of large vessels and airway involvement, and abdominal trauma, which can affect internal organs (mainly the liver and spleen). In any of the cases, special care must be taken for closed chest injuries, which are difficult to detect and do not manifest themselves externally. Rib fractures are also common if the seat belt is not worn correctly.

Brain injury

We are mainly talking about head injuries (TCE), in which loss of consciousness and skull fracture occur at the time of the accident. The severity of this type of injury varies between full recovery after the recovery period and the patient's vegetative state. They are within the so-called Acquired Brain Injury (ACD), because they suddenly burst into the life of the victim, and this can affect their autonomy and quality of life.


Head, neck, and face injury

We refer to scratches, abrasions, and fractures (in the most serious cases) produced mainly by hitting the dashboard or windshield. Other consequences are perforations caused by some metal parts of the vehicle, which can compromise vital arteries or the respiratory system itself.


Extremity injury

Although fissures or sprains of the wrists, knees, etc. are more frequent, open fractures and even amputations are also common in serious accidents. Motorcyclists are more prone to serious limb injuries. In the recovery process, long sessions of rehabilitation and physiotherapy are also often necessary.

Backbone injury

The vertebrae are one of the most affected when a traffic accident occurs, especially in those that occur due to a collision with another vehicle. Among the most common injuries is a cervical sprain (often called whiplash), caused by sudden flexion of the neck. Recovery is usually slow due to the delicacy of the vertebrae, and often requires immobilization and the use of a neck brace during the process. It can also cause other damage such as headaches, dizziness, neck pain... even changes in mood.

Spinal cord injury

When the spinal injury is especially severe, damage to the spinal cord can occur, with internal injuries and impact fractures being the most common causes. Unlike the injuries to the vertebrae, in this case, it is the nervous tissue that is affected. As this nervous tissue is responsible for transmitting orders from the brain to the different parts of the body, we can find different degrees of injury depending on the spinal cord affected: paraplegia, tetraplegia, hemiplegia, etc. In recovery, rehabilitation with physiotherapy is especially important, not only to recover mobility (which is sometimes irreversible) but also to avoid deformities or respiratory problems.

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