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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

Risk factors of poor prognosis after whiplash injury.

Whiplash, a common injury following motor vehicle crashes, is associated with high costs and a prognosis that is variable and difficult to predict. In this paper, we review findings from the Quebec cohort epidemiological study on predictive factors of recovery from whiplash injury after a motor vehicle crash. We formed a population-based incident cohort of all 4,759 individuals who sustained a whiplash injury resulting from a motor vehicle crash in the province of Québec, Canada, in 1987, and followed these patients for up to seven years. The data were obtained from the universal automobile insurance plan (SAAQ) that covers all seven million residents of the Province for all vehicular-related injuries. From this cohort, we formed the cohort of 3,014 for whom a police report was completed. For this cohort, we obtained data on crash-related factors directly from the police report. We also formed the cohort of 2,627 subjects who had strictly a whiplash injury, without associated injuries. For this cohort, the data on signs and symptoms were obtained from the medical charts kept by the SAAQ. For both cohorts, data on the outcome, the recovery time from whiplash, was obtained from the SAAQ databases. The crash-related cohort study found that socio-demographic factors associated with a longer recovery from whiplash include older age, female sex, having dependents and not being employed full time and that each decreases the rate of recovery by 14 to 16 per cent. Factors related to the crash conditions indicate that being in a truck or bus, with a decrease of 52% in the rate of recovery, being a passenger in the vehicle (15%), colliding with a moving vehicle (16%), and a side or frontal collision (15%) all decrease the rate of recovery. We introduce a combined risk score that predicts longer recovery. In the cohort of subjects with signs and symptoms, the median recovery time was 32 days and 12% of subjects had still not recovered after 6 months. The signs and symptoms that were found to be independently associated with a slower recovery from whiplash, besides female gender and older age, were neck pain on palpation; muscle pain; pain or numbness radiating from neck to arms, hands or shoulders; and headache. Together, the presence of all these factors in females aged 60 predicted a median recovery time of 262 days, compared with 17 days for younger males aged 20 who do not have any of these factors. In contrast, using the Quebec classification of signs and symptoms, the median recovery time varied from 17 to 123 days. We conclude that several socio-demographic and crash-related factors, as well as several signs and symptoms, including a combination of specific musculoskeletal and neurological ones that whiplash patients present with, are predictive of a longer recovery period. These patients should be targeted for an early intervention programme aimed at managing whiplash patients with a poor prognosis.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1992

Incidence of temporomandibular joint symptoms following whiplash injury.

Recently there has been considerable litigation involving the development of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain and dysfunction following cervical musculoskeletal injury (whiplash). The purpose of this investigation was to interview, examine, and follow up patients with a diagnosis of whiplash injury to determine the incidence of associated temporomandibular disorders. Patients were divided into two categories: those with and those without radiologic evidence of cervical skeletal injury. In the 63 patients with radiographic evidence of cervical skeletal injury (group 1), none had clicking at the time of initial examination. In the 92 patients without positive radiographs (group 2), only one had clicking. At 1 month follow-up by telephone, 2 of 51 available patients in group 1 had developed clicking, but no new TMJ symptoms were reported by the 78 patients in group 2 contacted by phone. Seventy percent of the initial follow-up group (44 patients) with radiographic evidence of injury were contacted by telephone at 1 year and none reported new symptoms of TMJ pain or clicking. Sixty-five percent of the initial follow-up group without radiographic evidence of injury (60 patients) were interviewed and also reported no new TMJ symptoms. These data indicate that the incidence of TMJ pain and clicking following whiplash injury is extremely low, and that patients who do not have clicking on resolution of their initial pain/dysfunction subsequently do not develop this problem.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed2000

[Whiplash injury of the cervical spine].

SOFT TISSUE INJURY: Whiplash injuries of the cervical spine are common, usually after traffic accidents. Soft tissue injuries may involve the muscles, ligaments, disks, and facet joints (excluding severe cases of fracture or dislocation not discussed here). CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS: There are 2 cardinal signs: neck pain and headache. These signs may be associated or not with other symptoms. CLINICAL COURSE: Most cases follow a benign course and resolve within a few weeks or months. Symptoms persist however in 20 to 40% of the cases. Evolutive organ injury, sensitization of the central nervous system, and secondary psychological reactions (including desire for financial compensation) all contribute to the development of a chronic situation. MEDICOLEGAL ASPECTS: Excepting cases with over neurological complications, it is particularly difficult to assess the nature and seriousness of whiplash injuries with physical examination and imaging. This diagnostic difficulty explains the frequency of medicolegal procedures. It is particularly difficult to treat chronic forms. If a medicolegal procedure is in course, it is advisable that the expert reports and fair compensation be established as rapidly as possible.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗
PubMedDate not supplied

MR imaging of temporomandibular joint abnormalities associated with cervical hyperextension/hyperflexion (whiplash) injuries.

Patients often have temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction-related symptoms after cervical hyperextension/hyperflexion injuries ("whiplash") caused by rear-end motor-vehicle collisions. To determine abnormalities of the TMJ associated with these injuries, 33 consecutive symptomatic patients (66 joints) with no direct trauma to the jaw, mouth, head, or face due to the accident and no prior history of TMJ dysfunction underwent magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and the images were retrospectively analyzed. Overall, 29 (88%) patients had some type of TMJ abnormality related to whiplash injury. Displacement of the disk was seen in 37 (56%) of the TMJs as follows: 21 (32%) had anterior displacement with reduction, nine (14%) had anterior displacement without reduction, six (9%) had lateral or medial displacement, and one (2%) had posterior displacement. On T2-weighted images, 43 (65%) TMJs had abnormal joint fluid or edema, predominantly affecting the joint capsule and/or lateral pterygoid muscles. The finding that many of the patients had joint fluid and/or soft-tissue edema indicates that T2-weighted images are especially useful for assessment of patients with a history of whiplash injury.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Delayed onset of fatal basilar thrombotic embolus after whiplash injury.

BACKGROUND: Whiplash injuries are generally seen after rear-end rather than frontal car collisions. Previous reports have documented death up to 8 days after serious whiplash injury. We report a case of lethal basilar thrombotic embolus that occurred 2 months after the patient's injury in a collision. CASE DESCRIPTION: After whiplash trauma in a car accident, a 50-year-old taxi driver suffered from headache and episodic visual disturbances. Two months after the accident he suddenly lost consciousness and was admitted to the hospital. A CT scan performed at that time was indicative of basilar thrombosis. The patient died 3 days later. The autopsy revealed a thrombosis in the right vertebral artery and a thrombotic embolus in the basilar artery. Microscopically, a lesion of the right vertebral artery was found at the level of the atlantoaxial joint. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the whiplash injury caused a lesion of the right vertebral artery, leading to repeated transient ischemic attacks and finally to a fatal basilar thrombotic embolus. We suggest that in patients with disturbances of the vertebrobasilar circulation, attention should be paid to occurrence of neck trauma in the preceding 3 months. Further, anticoagulant therapy should particularly be considered in patients who after suffering neck injuries develop signs of transient ischemic attacks with origin from the posterior cerebral circulation.

Basilar Artery↗
PubMed1992

Cerebral symptoms after whiplash injury of the neck: a prospective clinical and neuropsychological study of whiplash injury.

Twenty one unselected patients with an acute whiplash injury of the neck had neurological and neuropsychological assessment, cervical x rays, EEG, BAEP, MRI, and an otoneurological examination within two weeks of the injury. Subjectively, 13 patients reported concentration deficits, 18 reported sleep disturbances, 9 had symptoms of depression, and 7 female patients told of menstrual irregularities. Neuropsychological examination revealed significantly lower performance in tests related to attention and concentration compared to sex, age and educational matched control subjects. Otoneurological examination showed abnormalities in 9 of 17 whiplash subjects. EEG showed questionable changes in 8 of 18 recordings. MRI and BAEP were normal in all patients. Repeat neuropsychological testing in 15 patients at three months showed that attention deficits had improved but were still shown in 12 of 14 and the concentration deficits in 8 of 13 patients. At one year all patients had returned to work, 16 to full and 5 to part time employment. In 4, cognitive dysfunction remained the only significant problem. These findings are discussed as being compatible with possible damage to basal frontal and upper brain stem structures after whiplash injury of the neck.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Early mobilization of acute whiplash injuries.

Acute whiplash injuries are a common cause of soft tissue trauma for which the standard treatment is rest and initial immobilisation with a soft cervical collar. Because the efficacy of this treatment is unknown a randomised study in 61 patients was carried out comparing the standard treatment with an alternative regimen of early active mobilisation. Results showed that eight weeks after the accident the degree of improvement seen in the actively treated group compared with the group given standard treatment was significantly greater for both cervical movement (p less than 0.05) and intensity of pain (p less than 0.0125).

Adult↗
PubMed1998

[Whiplash injury syndrome. A prospective study of 39 patients with whiplash injury].

The acute symptoms after whiplash trauma can be explained by the neck sprain, but the pathogenesis of the "late whiplash syndrome" and the reasons why only some people have persistent symptoms more than six months are still unknown. Thirty-four consecutive cases of piskesmaeld injury were examined clinically three times; respectively within 14 days, after one month and finally seven months post-injury. In addition, MRI of the brain and the cervical spine, neuropsychological tests and motor evoked potentials (MEP) were done one month post-injury and repeated after six months, if abnormalities were found. We found the total recovery rate (asymptomatic patients) was 29% after seven months. All MEP examinations were normal. The correlation between MRI and the clinical findings was poor. Cognitive dysfunction as a symptom of brain injury was not found. Stress at the same time as the accident predicted more symptoms at follow-up. We conclude that long-lasting distress and poor outcome were more related to the occurrence of stressful life events than to clinical and paraclinical findings.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1958

Whiplash injuries; diagnosis and treatment.

Whiplash injury may extend far beyond the neck, and may involve even the soft tissues of the pelvis. For permanent recovery, all the injuries must be evaluated and treated together. When impact from the rear snaps the head back and then forward, posterior subluxations in the cervical spine cause anterior-posterior narrowing of the intervertebral foramina, which may result in injury to the cervical nerve roots. Impact at the front, causing hyperflexion followed by hyperextension, has a similar effect although usually not as severe. Resulting symptoms may not appear until two or three weeks later, when irritative lesions have developed because of hemorrhage or swelling. Mild or progressive degenerative changes may cause no symptoms but may predispose the affected area to injury following some slight trauma. Capsular ligaments of the lateral intervertebral joints are especially liable to whiplash injury which may give rise to scars and adhesions that compress spinal nerves. Sympathetic system involvement may cause reflex and referred pain. Detailed neurologic, roentgen and electromyographic studies may be necessary for proper evaluation of injuries. Seemingly psychosomatic pain or disability is likely to have some physical basis in whiplash injuries. In 33 patients with whiplash injury, some recently injured and some chronically disabled with persistent symptoms, good results were observed following hydromassage, hot packs, joint mobilization exercises and, in a few, cervical or pelvic traction.

Accidents↗
PubMed2002

3D kinematic analysis and clinical evaluation of neck movements in patients with whiplash injury.

In recent decades whiplash injuries, being a major reason for compensation claims, have become increasingly important in forensic medicine. In view of this, a reliable diagnostic method of assessing cervical range of motion (ROM) is needed. The aim of the present study was to evaluate neck function with a 3D kinematic method compared with clinical evaluation in whiplash injury. Seventy consecutive patients (M/F = 18/52) with a history of whiplash injury (WH) and 46 healthy volunteers (M/F = 24/22), mean age, respectively 33 +/- 9 and 28 +/- 6 years (mean+/-SD) entered the study. Patients suffered from neck pain and/or unilateral headache. A computerized kinematic analysis of the ROM (Elite system) using passive markers and two infrared TV cameras was used. Clinical evaluation of active ROM was also performed both in patients and in 61 controls (M/F = 23/38; mean age 47 +/- 18 years). Thirty out of 70 patients were tested at the time of their first consultation (T0) and 6 months later (T6), and 12 were also followed up after a year (T12). All neck movements, except extension, were significantly reduced in WH subjects compared with controls, in particular lateral bending. Comparing ROM at T0, T6 and T12, no significant differences were found. A global index of motion (GIM), obtained by calculating the sum of ROM in absolute value for all the movements acquired, was significantly reduced in WH compared with control subjects. The interobserver reliability of the clinical evaluation was globally acceptable. On the basis of the clinical evaluation, a significantly reduced ROM was found in all movements in WH subjects compared with an age-matched population. Computing the number of impaired cervical movements (ICMs), a significantly higher number was observed in WH patients than in controls, showing a decreasing trend at T6 and T12, with a significant improvement at T6 vs. T0. The computerized study of neck ROM may constitute a useful tool in the evaluation of WH at baseline and follow-up.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Cervicogenic headache (CEH) after whiplash injury.

The main objective of the present investigation was to search for cervicogenic headache (CEH) after whiplash injury. Whiplash patients (n= 587), were followed for a year after their emergency service consultation. A total of 222 patients with headache after 1 month went through interview and examinations at 6 weeks, 6 months and 1 year. All included persons received a questionnaire after 1 year. De novo CEH seemed to be present in 8% at 6 weeks and in 3% at 1 year. Previous car accidents, pre-existing headache and neck pain were more frequent in chronic CEH individuals than in those in the cohort without CEH. Range of motion in the neck was reduced in 65% of chronic CEH individuals hours after the accident, compared with 41% in the cohort. Cybex inclinometer, at 6 weeks and 1 year, demonstrated reduced extension in the neck. CEH seems to be present after whiplash injury, particularly in the early phase. It seems similar to, but probably not identical to, non-whiplash CEH.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Whiplash Injuries.

The term "whiplash" is not a medical diagnosis, but is the result of soft-tissue trauma to the neck. A whiplash injury occurs as a result of a sudden acceleration or deceleration of the head and neck with respect to the body. This article recommends that patient treatment be individualized.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

Systemic immune response in whiplash injury and ankle sprain: elevated IL-6 and IL-10.

Whiplash injury and whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) are significant problems of modern society. Numerous attempts have been made to characterize the nature of whiplash injury. Whether the immune system is involved during the disease process is not known. In a prospective study, using enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assays, we examined numbers of blood mononuclear cells (MNC) secreting pro- (IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, IL-6) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokines in patients with WAD and, for reference, patients with ankle sprain and multiple sclerosis and healthy subjects. An immune response reflected by elevated numbers of TNF-alpha- and IL-10-secreting blood MNC was observed in patients with WAD examined within 3 days compared to 14 days after the whiplash injury. The patients with WAD examined within 3 days after the injury had also higher numbers of IL-6 and IL-10 secreting blood MNC compared to healthy subjects. The alterations of cytokine profiles observed in WAD were also observed in patients with ankle sprain when examined within 3 days after trauma. In contrast, there were no differences for cytokine profiles between patients with WAD examined 14 days after the whiplash injury and healthy subjects. Relatively minor trauma like WAD and ankle sprain are associated with a systemic dysregulation in numbers of cells secreting pro- as well as anti-inflammatory cytokines.

Adolescent↗