Whiplash-Associated Disorders. Biopsychosocial Profiles of Pain Perception in Forensic Cases of Victims of Motor Vehicle Accidents

The Effect of Changing the Angle of the Passenger Car Seat Backrest on the Head Trajectories of the 50th Percentile Male Dummy

The aim of the study is to compare the head displacement of the KPSIT C50 dummy during a frontal collision at a speed of 20 km/h, along with the change in the angle of the car seat backrest. Passenger car manufacturers recommend setting the backrest angle of the car seat between 100 and 125 degrees. It should be noted that the driver's position is of great importance in the event of a collision injury. In the event of a rear-end collision, the position of the headrest of the car seat is an element that affects the degree of the driver's injuries. In extreme cases, incorrect positioning of the headrest, even at low speed, can lead to serious injuries to the cervical spine and even death. The article is part of a large-scale study on low-speed crash testing. The research problem concerned the influence of the seat backrest angle on the head displacement during a low-speed collision. The article compares the displacement of the head of the KPSIT C50 dummy during a series of crash tests, where the angle of the car seat backrest was changed. On the basis of the research, it was found that the optimal angle of the car seat backrest is 110 degrees. In addition, a preliminary analysis of the displacements of the dummy's head showed a high risk of whiplash injury in people sitting in a fully reclined seat.

Recommendations for a core outcome measurement set for clinical trials in whiplash associated disorders

ABSTRACT

Inconsistent reporting of outcomes in clinical trials of treatments for whiplash associated disorders (WAD) hinders effective data pooling and conclusions about treatment effectiveness. A multidisciplinary International Steering Committee recently recommended 6 core outcome domains: Physical Functioning, Perceived Recovery, Work and Social Functioning, Psychological Functioning, Quality of Life and Pain. This study aimed to reach consensus and recommend a core outcome set (COS) representing each of the 6 domains. Forty-three patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) were identified for Physical Functioning, 2 for perceived recovery, 37 for psychological functioning, 17 for quality of life, and 2 for pain intensity. They were appraised in 5 systematic reviews following COSMIN methodology. No PROMs of Work and Social Functioning in WAD were identified. No PROMs had undergone evaluation of content validity in patients with WAD, but some had moderate-to-high-quality evidence for sufficient internal structure. Based on these results, the International Steering Committee reached 100% consensus to recommend the following COS: Neck Disability Index or Whiplash Disability Questionnaire (Physical Functioning), the Global Rating of Change Scale (Perceived Recovery), one of the Pictorial Fear of Activity Scale-Cervical, Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Harvard Trauma Questionnaire, or Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale (Psychological Functioning), EQ-5D-3L or SF-6D (Quality of Life), numeric pain rating scale or visual analogue scale (Pain), and single-item questions pertaining to current work status and percent of usual work (Work and Social Functioning). These recommendations reflect the current status of research of PROMs of the 6 core outcome domains and may be modified as evidence grows.