Acta clinica Croatica, Vol. 46 No. 1, 2007.
Original scientific paper
Whiplash Injury - A Medicolegal Issue
Marija Bošnjak-Pašić
Melita Uremović
Branka Vidrih
Vesna Vargek-Solter
Marijana Lisak
Vida Demarin
Abstract
Whiplash injury is the most common injury sustained in traffic accidents. On exposure to different forces, multiple neck injuries may occur. Following the injury, many patients suffer from subjective symptoms that may even persist upon completion of medical treatment. As a result, there are serious problems in the objective evaluation of permanent consequences of the injury. The study included 40 randomly selected whiplash injury victims without previous lesions of cervical spine, and 40 equally selected patients with previously confirmed cervical degenerative changes. They all suffered from permanent whiplash injuries and applied for reimbursement for nonmaterial damage to Zagreb Insurance Company during 2001. Sixty-seven per cent of patients underwent continuous treatment for 5-6 months, however, the sequels of whiplash injury persisted in the form of decreased motility of cervical spine, arm paresthesia, vasospasm of vertebral arteries and permanently narrowed visual field. Pathological findings were verified by objective diagnostic methods: functional x-rays of the cervical part of the spinal cord, electromyoneurographic examination of arms, transcranial Doppler sonography of vertebrobasilar arteries, visual field assessment by Goldman method, and clinical examination by medical censor. The treatment of injured patients with previous degenerative changes of cervical spine took a longer time, with a higher level of head and neck motility reduction. Ultimately, in terms of reimbursement, they were conceded a lesser degree of permanent physical damage than those without previous cervical spine lesions.
Keywords
Whiplash injuries - diagnosis; Whiplash injuries - physiopathology; Whiplash injuries - legislation and jurisprudence; Cervical vertebrae, injuries - pathology; Neck pain - diagnosis; Accidents, traffic - prevention and control
Hrčak ID:
12610
URI
Publication date:
30.3.2007.
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