OBJECTIVES: To compare the incidence and severity of acetabular fractures and associated injuries before and after seatbelt legislation. DESIGN: A retrospective study. SETTING: Two major trauma centres, which are teaching hospitals. PATIENTS: Three hundred and ninety-three patients who sustained acetabular fractures during the 5 years before and 5 years after seatbelt legislation was enacted. Of these, the fractures in 198 patients (50.4%) resulted from a motor vehicle accident. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The number and severity of acetabular fractures and associated injuries. RESULTS: There has been a significant reduction in the number of acetabular fractures (p = 0.005) since seatbelt use became mandatory, and the complexity of the fractures has decreased. There has also been a marked reduction in associated injuries, such as fractures of other bones, and head, chest and abdominal injuries (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The seatbelt law has been a useful preventive measure, resulting in a reduction in the incidence of acetabular fractures and associated injuries.
OBJECTIVES: To compare the incidence and severity of acetabular fractures and associated injuries before and after seatbelt legislation. DESIGN: A retrospective study. SETTING: Two major trauma centres, which are teaching hospitals. PATIENTS: Three hundred and ninety-three patients who sustained acetabular fractures during the 5 years before and 5 years after seatbelt legislation was enacted. Of these, the fractures in 198 patients (50.4%) resulted from a motor vehicle accident. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The number and severity of acetabular fractures and associated injuries. RESULTS: There has been a significant reduction in the number of acetabular fractures (p = 0.005) since seatbelt use became mandatory, and the complexity of the fractures has decreased. There has also been a marked reduction in associated injuries, such as fractures of other bones, and head, chest and abdominal injuries (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The seatbelt law has been a useful preventive measure, resulting in a reduction in the incidence of acetabular fractures and associated injuries.
Authors: Marcelo Cortês Cavalcante; Frederico Augusto Alves de Arruda; Guilherme Boni; Gustavo Tadeu Sanchez; Daniel Balbachevsky; Fernando Baldy Dos Reis Journal: Acta Ortop Bras Date: 2019 Nov-Dec Impact factor: 0.513