PURPOSE: To investigate socio-demographic features, lesions which caused disabilities and the rate of disabilities caused by particular lesions and thus to reveal how disabilities are evaluated and general characteristics of disabilities due to road traffic accidents in Turkey. METHOD: In this study we retrospectively reviewed 563 victims of road traffic accidents evaluated by the Department of Forensic Medicine, Ankara University, between 1 July 1993 and 31 December 2002 to determine whether they had disabilities and to estimate the rate of disabilities. We collected data about age, gender, trials outcomes, affected body parts, surgical interventions, lesions taken into account in estimation of disabilities, the rate of disabilities. RESULTS: 64.7% of the cases were male and 35.3% were female. The mean age of the cases was 33.11 (SD:16.70) years. The most frequently affected body part was lower extremities and 73.6% of lesions taken into account in estimation of the rate of disability were located in the pelvis and lower extremities. CONCLUSIONS: In order to prevent these injuries, the mechanisms of the injuries should be determined and to this aim findings obtained at the scene, hospital records and findings obtained at the physical examination of the victims should be linked. Larger studies are needed to determine preventive measures for elimination of the causes of accidents, prevent permanent disabilities, plan education programs and make recommendations about the preventive measures.
PURPOSE: To investigate socio-demographic features, lesions which caused disabilities and the rate of disabilities caused by particular lesions and thus to reveal how disabilities are evaluated and general characteristics of disabilities due to road traffic accidents in Turkey. METHOD: In this study we retrospectively reviewed 563 victims of road traffic accidents evaluated by the Department of Forensic Medicine, Ankara University, between 1 July 1993 and 31 December 2002 to determine whether they had disabilities and to estimate the rate of disabilities. We collected data about age, gender, trials outcomes, affected body parts, surgical interventions, lesions taken into account in estimation of disabilities, the rate of disabilities. RESULTS: 64.7% of the cases were male and 35.3% were female. The mean age of the cases was 33.11 (SD:16.70) years. The most frequently affected body part was lower extremities and 73.6% of lesions taken into account in estimation of the rate of disability were located in the pelvis and lower extremities. CONCLUSIONS: In order to prevent these injuries, the mechanisms of the injuries should be determined and to this aim findings obtained at the scene, hospital records and findings obtained at the physical examination of the victims should be linked. Larger studies are needed to determine preventive measures for elimination of the causes of accidents, prevent permanent disabilities, plan education programs and make recommendations about the preventive measures.