title: Lower extremity fractures in motor vehicle collisions: the role of driver gender and height.
abstract: In a previous study it was noted that there was a higher incidence of lower-extremity fractures among women drivers. Analyses were based on a linkage between trauma registry and police crash report data. The present study addresses the issue of whether the differences noted are attributed to driver gender or are merely a reflection of differences in driver height. An inverse association was noted between driver height and the incidence of lower-extremity fractures. Those shorter than average (5'7") for this population had a 64% increase in lower-extremity fracture, which can be mainly attributed to ankle/tarsal injuries. Thus, the incidence of these injuries appears to be a function of driver height, with an increase among shorter drivers, most of whom are women.
authors.affiliation: National Study Center for Trauma and EMS, University of Maryland at Baltimore, USA.
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Dischinger
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Kerns
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kufera
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015142:Baltimore / Q000453:epidemiology; D001827:Body Height; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007869:Leg Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D017678:Sex Distribution