Crash Characteristics of Whiplash Associated Chronic Neck Pain

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the motor vehicle crash parameters associated with chronic neck pain outcomes associated with whiplash injury.

Method: Police accident data were matched with a clinical database of 273 subjects with chronic neck pain as a result of a motor vehicle crash. These subjects had or were in the process of being objectively investigated for zygapophyseal [Z-joint] pain by means of controlled double-blind differential diagnostic anesthetic blocks. The combined database was analyzed to find the crash parameters.

Results: For the 92 cases where the crash data was able to be matched with the clinical data, females [55%] had slightly higher representation than males [45%]; rear-end impacts were more common [40%] and few had injuries requiring hospitalization [6.5%]. Higher severity crashes appeared to be associated with these chronic neck pain sufferers than typically found for whiplash associated disorder. For this group of drivers and motorcycle riders, 68 [74%] were diagnosed to have objective Z-joint pain mostly at the C2/3 [34%] and C5/6 [32%] levels of the neck. More symptomatic joints were found on the right side [59%] than left side [43%].

Conclusion: In Australia, the characteristics of the motor vehicle crashes associated with subjects suffering chronic neck pain were investigated. In the 92 cases analyzed, 74% had objective evidence that the chronic neck pain was connected with the Z-joints and seemed to be associated with more severe rear-end rear impacts.

KEYWORDS:

• Whiplash
• motor vehicle collision
• neck
• pain
• rear impact