J Korean Orthop Assoc.  1969 Jun;4(2):23-27. 10.4055/jkoa.1969.4.2.23.

Clinical Observation on the Skeletal Injuries Induced by falling from Relativel Higher Heigth

• Hahn SJ

• KMID: 2464740
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4055/jkoa.1969.4.2.23

Abstract

SkeIetaI injuries induced by falling from height seems to deserve special interest in many aspects from the view point of traumatology. A few authors have reported on the observation of mass injuries of this type of trauma. The author have treated and observed 41 cases of mass casualties who fell from 8 to 22.6 meters height and nine cases of other consecutive series of skeIetal injuries who fell from 8 to 40 meters height induced by falling from relatively higher height. Clinical analysis for this material is reported on this paper. 1. Seven fatal cases out of 50 cases were all caused by head injuries and fracture of the cervical spine. 2. Twenty one cases out of 42 injured cases had fracture and number of fractured bone were 33, among them seven cases had fracture of the spine included 10 vertebrae, with higher incidence. 3. One who fell from 22.6 meters height had no injury and two survivals who fell from 20 and 40 meters height respectively were accidentally helped by interruption of their fallings, such as holding and being hung momentarily on some scaffold on the way of falling. 4. Grade of injuries induced by falling was related to the height, body weight and elasticity of floor in this series. 5. Consciousness at the moment of falling seems to be related to grade of injury in this series and the higher the height, the more frequently consciousness was loss.

MeSH Terms

Accidental Falls*
Body Height
Consciousness
Craniocerebral Trauma
Elasticity
Incidence
Mass Casualty Incidents
Spine
Traumatology