Comparison of Injury Patterns and Severity between Younger and Older Rider in the Motorcycle Accident

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The mortality of motorcycle accidents in old age is very high in Korea compared with other countries. The aim of this study is to compare the differences in injury patterns and severity between younger and older riders in motorcycle accidents. METHODS: Cross sectional data from Konkuk University Chung-ju Hospital were used to evaluate patients who visited the emergency department as a result of a motorcycle accident from June 2012 to May 2014. We separated the patients into younger rider group from 16 to 64 and older rider group over 65 years of age. Injury sustained, the types of severe injuries and injury severity between two groups were compared using Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) and Injury Severity Score (ISS). RESULTS: The younger and older rider group included 310 and 111 patients, respectively. Injuries in head, face, chest, and lumbar spine were higher in the older rider group (p<0.05). In the comparison of severe injury sustained over AIS 2, the older rider group had a four-fold odds increased rate of head injury (OR 3.718, 95% CI 2.317-5.965, p<0.001) and a two-fold odds increased rate of chest injury (OR 2.306, 95% CI 1.199-4.437, p=0.016) compared with the younger rider group. In addition, the older rider group had a nearly seven fold increased odds of severe injury over ISS 15 (OR 7.108, 95% CI 3.579-14.119, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: In a motorcycle accident, the frequency of head, facial, chest, and lumbar injuries was higher in the older rider group. In addition, the older rider group had a higher injury severity, particularly a higher risk of head and chest injury.