Need for airbag and seatbelt to reduce orbital injuries from steering wheel knob.

Abstract

The aims of this study are to report a blowout fracture of the orbital floor and medial wall caused by being struck by a steering wheel knob of an automobile and to discuss the use of airbags and seatbelts as a preventive measure for orbital injuries. A 58-year-old man was struck in the left eye by a steering wheel. His car hit a telephone pole, and he had a frontal collision injury. In this frontal impact, his left eye was hit by a Brodie knob attached to the steering wheel. At the time of injury, the speed of the car was about 65 km/h. He was not wearing a seatbelt, and the airbag had not deployed. Swelling and ecchymosis were observed at the left periorbital area, and he had diplopia on a left-side gaze. A CT revealed fractures in the medial and inferior wall of the left orbit. Entrapped soft tissues were reduced, and the medial wall and floor were reconstructed with a resorbable sheet. His diplopia disappeared 12 days after surgery. To prevent the injury from the steering wheel knob, an airbag should be installed in any vehicle, which has a steering wheel knob. Legislation mandating the use of airbags as well as seatbelts in vehicles with attached steering wheel knobs should be made.

• Authors: Kun Hwang, Joo Ho Kim
• Journal: The Journal of craniofacial surgery (J Craniofac Surg) Vol. 25 Issue 6 Pg. e590-2 (Nov 2014) ISSN: 1536-3732 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 25376138 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Topics

• Accidents, Traffic (prevention & control)
• Air Bags
• Automobiles
• Diplopia (etiology)
• Ecchymosis (etiology)
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Orbital Diseases (etiology)
• Orbital Fractures (etiology, prevention & control, surgery)
• Plastic Surgery Procedures (methods)
• Seat Belts
• Tomography, X-Ray Computed (methods)