Consequences and costs of lower extremity injuries.
Lower extremity injuries resulting from motor vehicle crashes are common and have become relatively more important as more drivers with newer occupant restraints survive high-energy crashes. CIREN data provide a greater level of clinical detail based on coding guidelines from the Orthopedic Trauma Association. These detailed data, in conjunction with long-term follow-up data obtained from patient interviews, reveal that the most costly and disabling injuries are those involving articular (joint) surfaces, especially those of the ankle/foot. Patients with such injuries exhibit residual physical and psychosocial problems, even at one year post-trauma.
National Study Center for Trauma and EMS, University of Maryland, Baltimore, USA.
P C
PC
Dischinger
K M
KM
Read
J A
JA
Kufera
T J
TJ
Kerns
C A
CA
Burch
N
N
Jawed
S M
SM
Ho
A R
AR
Burgess
D015998:Abbreviated Injury Scale; D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000191:economics*; D016512:Ankle Injuries / Q000191:economics; D017281:Cost of Illness; D018409:Foot Injuries / Q000191:economics; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000191:economics; D017722:Hospital Charges; D006801:Humans; D007869:Leg Injuries / Q000145:classification / Q000191:economics* / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States