The influence of airbags on thoracic organ lesion types - biomed 2009.

Thoracic organ injuries account for 13% of all serious injuries to belted front seat occupants in frontal crashes. The rate at which thoracic organ injury occurs and the manner in which the injuries occur has not changed significantly with the inclusion of airbags. This study was based on the injury outcomes of over 28,000 belted occupants in frontal crashes from National Automotive Sampling System / Crashworthiness Data System (NASS/CDS) case years 1993-2007. The injury sources of serious thoracic organ injury vary by organ and seating position, but generally not by the inclusion of airbags. However, the airbags were given as the source of 5% of the driver thoracic organ injuries and 16% of the right front passenger thoracic organ injuries. The thoracic organ injury type did not change significantly with airbags, but there was a large reduction in the distribution of heart contusions for occupants with an available airbag. The average delta-V that results in thoracic organ injury is not higher for occupants with an airbag as compared to those without an available airbag. This suggests that the airbag offers little additional protection against thoracic organ injury than provided by seat belts alone.