Car Crashes and Jaw Injuries

Car Crashes and Jaw Injuries

While most people are familiar with the range of severity of arm and leg fractures, jaw injuries are often overlooked. However, these can be quite severe and have a variety of adverse impacts on someone's quality of life. With all of the functions that people use their jaw for, it is important to understand the diverse array of injuries and how these occur.

Jaw injuries have the potential to be serious and can occur in many different ways. Some of the ways that these traumatic injuries can result include:

Auto Accidents: Auto accidents are some of the most common ways that jaw injuries, particularly injuries to the mandible, can occur. When the car stops short, people can smack their face on the steering wheel. This can lead to a fracture of the jaw along with other types of bone fractures, including facial fractures.

Sports Injuries: People who play competitive sports should wear a mouth guard not only to protect their teeth but also to protect their jaw. Contact sports that result in accidental collisions between two people can lead to jaw injuries.

Physical Assault: Physical assaults can also lead to jaw injuries. Someone who sustains blunt trauma to either side of the face can be left with serious injuries to the jaw, including a maxillary fracture.

A Review: Types of Injuries

Jaw injuries can range in both their type and severity. Some of the more common injuries to the jaw include:

Mandibular Fracture: The mandible is the bottom part of the jaw and is the bone that holds the bottom row of teeth in place. This bone is a hinge joint that opens and closes, allowing people to both chew and talk. Extreme force to either side of this bone can lead to a fracture, leading to severe pain while moving the bone.

Maxillary Fracture: The maxilla can also be fractured. The maxilla is the top half of the jaw and holds the top row of teeth. This is also one of the numerous facial bones, and a fracture of the maxilla is often accompanied by fractures to other bones in the face.

TMJ Disorder: The TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint) is the joint that allows the mandible to move. Severe injuries to this joint can cause the muscles to spasm, leading to pain while moving the mandible, and is often called “lockjaw.”

Watch YouTube Video: Top Three Exercises for TMJ - Temporomandibular Joint Pain/Disorder. Two physical therapists demonstrate the three top exercises for a temporomandibular joint disorder.

Treatment and Recovery

 

Depending on the type and severity of the injury, the procedure is going to vary. Severe fractures may require surgery to repair while hairline fractures may require immobilization without surgery. Some minor injuries may need medications to control the symptoms. Regardless, an operation of the jaw can be a complicated situation. People may not be allowed to move their jaw for weeks, making it difficult to eat or speak. This can have an adverse impact on someone's quality of life. However, it is necessary to ensure a full medical recovery.

Seat Belt Syndrome Can Include Lumbar Spine Injuries

Seat Belt Syndrome Can Include Lumbar Spine Injuries

Seat belt use is of the utmost importance every time someone rides in a motor vehicle. Unfortunately, "seat belt syndrome" can occur and is the phrase used to describe injuries which result from seat belt failure or improper use. This syndrome, while commonly associated with abdominal injuries, can also include injuries to the lumbar spine.

This syndrome was first discovered when lap belts were added to cars. The lap belt would restrain the passenger's abdomen from moving forward. However, the chest and head would be thrown forward when an accident occurred. This led to a rupture of the abdominal organs due to the difference in stress between the chest and the abdomen. People would suffer severe stomach and small bowel injuries, leading to rampant infection and blood loss. In severe cases, people would die from this syndrome, leading to a wrongful death situation. While abdominal injuries can still be seen, the addition of shoulder belts led to a dramatic reduction in these injuries, saving countless lives in the process. Unfortunately, these injuries can happen when seat belts do not function as intended.

A Case Report: Lumbar Spine Injuries in a Child

A team of medical professionals recently published a case report describing a six-year-old boy who developed spinal injuries in the lumbar section of his back (towards the bottom) resulting from seat belt syndrome. In this case, the child was involved in a serious auto accident. The two people in the front of the vehicle were killed on impact and he was one of three individuals in the rear of the car who survived. He suffered polytrauma in the accident and was taken to the hospital for further evaluation. He was complaining of severe back pain and, therefore, a series of x-rays were obtained, demonstrating several small fractures in the lumbar region of his back in addition to a bone fracture in his femur. The child was taken to surgery in order to repair the fracture in his leg. Although surgery was not required to repair the two fractures in the lumbar region of his spine, his back was immobilized while he was in the hospital to ensure that the fractures did not become dislocated. The child was eventually discharged when clinically stable with follow-up with the physical therapy team to ensure a proper recovery from his injury.

The Complications can be Severe

It is not unusual for people with multiple fractures in their back to suffer damage to their spinal cord as well. The vertebrae protect the spinal cord and, if the vertebral fractures are severe, bone fragments can damage the spinal cord, leading to significant motor and sensory loss. This has the potential to lead to chronic complications which could last the rest of their life. In this case, the child suffered spinal fractures because the force of the impact caused the child to "submarine" under the shoulder belt. This means that the shoulder belt did not restrain the child as intended. His spine was flexed forward by the momentum of the accident, unable to be restrained by the shoulder belt, leading to hyperflexion of the spine and fractures in his lumbar region. Furthermore, the traditional injuries from the abdominal rupture can lead to rampant infection in the abdominal cavity. This can place a patient in septic shock, which requires treatment with antibiotics and blood pressure medications. Severe cases can lead to death.