192 Effect of Bicycle Helmet Use on Traumatic Brain and Cervical Spine Injuries

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The use of bicycle helmets in the prevention of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) is frequently cited in the medical community at large; however, there exists little information in the medical literature evaluating this relationship. Additionally, the debate continues regarding the potentially negative effects of helmet use on cervical spine biomechanics during crashes. Given the limited amount of available information on this topic, we aim to further evaluate this biomechanical relationship. METHOD(S): We performed a retrospective review of all patients with bicycle crashes evaluated at one level 1 trauma center from January 2010 to January 2016. Patients were divided into helmeted and unhelmeted groups. Categorical variables were described by counts and significance was assessed using Fisher exact tests. RESULT(S): In total 287 patients were examined with 149 being unhelmeted (51.9%) and 138 being helmeted (48.9%). Helmeted riders experienced radiographic evidence of TBI in 20.3% of cases compared to 40.3% of unhelmeted (P.05). CONCLUSION(S): Helmet use demonstrated a statistically significant advantage in the prevention of traumatic brain injuries. No significant difference was found regarding the incidence or severity of CSI. These results demonstrate no statistically significant increase in CSI with helmet use and convey a significant protective advantage in the prevention of traumatic brain injuries.