Mild Traumatic Brain Injury following Cervical Acceleration/deceleration Injury

Trauma sustained in motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) is the single most important cause of both fatal and mild brain injuries, causing 67% of all cases. The most common diagnosis given is concussion. The head and neck, being suspended at the end of a comparatively inflexible torso, are subject to high acceleration forces during a MVC that often result in injuries to these areas. In low-speed rear impact collisions (LOSRIC), head acceleration is frequently two and one-half times that of the vehicle, and brain injury is a common consequence. Many of these MVCrelated injuries are the result of blunt head injury, which describes contact with some object, but without penetration of the skull. An example would be striking the steering wheel or doorpost. However, even without head contact, MVCs can produce very high accelerations of the brain with resulting brain injury.