title: [Traumatic lesions caused by the "air-bag" system].
abstract: Hand injuries have occurred due to inflation of an air bag security system during a high velocity car accident. A driver and a passenger retained by three-point lap-shoulder belts crashed on the central railing of a motorway during their vehicle lost of control due to aquaplaning. The air bags inflated during the collision. The driver presented a superficial second degree burn with a 12 cm long blister on the radial side of the hand and distal forearm. The passenger suffered an intra-articular palmar avulsion fracture of the middle phalanx (PIP joint) and a mallet finger of the left fifth digit. The driver was treated conservatively and healed without sequelae. The passenger had K-wire fixation, after fracture repositioning, under local anaesthesia. Physiotherapy was started early. K-wires were removed at three weeks and active therapy continued. 6 months later the digit presented PIP joint stiffness and a 20 degrees flexion deformity. To the best of our knowledge this is the first description of upper extremity lesions due to inflation of an air bag device.
authors.affiliation: Hôpital de Zone, Morges.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Meredith
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D017278:Air Bags / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002056:Burns / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005383:Finger Injuries / Q000209:etiology*; D005543:Forearm Injuries / Q000209:etiology*; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000209:etiology; D006230:Hand Injuries / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013708:Tendon Injuries / Q000209:etiology
vernacular_title: Lésions traumatiques par système "air-bag".