title: Seat-belt syndrome revisited.
abstract: This report describes a complex syndrome of injuries occurring in a young female who was a back seat passenger wearing a lap-belt restraint in a high-speed road traffic accident. As a consequence of the forced flexion distraction injury of her lumbar spine, she sustained a fracture-subluxation of the first lumbar vertebra in association with a jejunal perforation and extensive small intestinal mesenteric laceration. She also had a large traumatic hernia of the anterior abdominal wall, which was overlooked at primary laparotomy. This report highlights collectively the classical combination of injuries associated with the lap-belt syndrome and demonstrates the importance of carefully inspecting the anterior abdominal wall for deficiencies, because traumatic herniation may be easily overlooked.
authors.affiliation: Departments of General Surgery and Orthopaedic Surgery, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast.
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Date
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Charlwood
authors.forename: I V
authors.initials: IV
authors.lastname: Adair
authors.forename: W D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Clements
mesh_terms: D000007:Abdominal Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007416:Intestinal Perforation / Q000209:etiology; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000293:injuries; D007579:Jejunal Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries; D012622:Seat Belts / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D013577:Syndrome; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods