Abstract
Much of the research emphasis in vehicular trauma has been placed on life-threatening injuries, primarily to the brain and thorax, and possible means of preventing them using seatbelts and/or airbags. Less emphasis has been placed on non-fatal injuries, in part because this information was more difficult to obtain. Lower extremity injuries are a common and costly cause of permanent disability and impairment resulting from motor vehicle crashes. The results are reported of a recent study of the mechanism of these injuries, specifically the role of direction of impact and seatbelt use.