[Tree collisions in road traffic accidents - mechanism and pattern of injury].
BACKGROUND
In Germany, the county of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has got the highest frequency of traffic accidents. 42 % of all deadly injured car accident victims in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern sustained a tree collision. Aim of this study was to analyze tree collisions regarding typical pattern and severity of injury.


METHODS
During an on-going prospective, non-interventional accident survey within a defined area of the county of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern tree collisions with minimum one victim sustaining a Maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale of 1-6 injury were analyzed.


RESULTS
In between January 2001 and June 2004 287 accidents were documented. 19 % (54) were tree collisions. 81 % of drivers were male. 36 of 54 tree collisions (67 %) occurred on straight roadways. The mean ISS was 31.3 (SD +/- 29.8), 30 % (23) of the passengers died. 70 of 78 individuals sustained more than one injury. With that, the combination of head- and chest trauma was most frequent and associated with the highest injury severity.


CONCLUSIONS
Especially tree collisions lead to severe trauma. Interestingly, most accidents did occur on straight roadways.
Matthes
G
G
Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität Greifswald, Unfall- und Wiederherstellungschirurgie, Greifswald. gerrit.matthes@uni-greifswald.de
Schmucker
U
U
Schindel
M
M
Siebenhühner
S
S
Ekkernkamp
A
A
Seifert
J
J
D015998:Abbreviated Injury Scale; D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D012307:Risk Factors; D014197:Trees