Psychosocial and physical factors associated with lower extremity injury.

With the increasing availability of modern occupant restraints, more drivers and passengers are surviving high-energy crashes. However, a large number, especially those involved in frontal and offset frontal crashes, incur disabling lower extremity injuries. In the past, not much attention was paid to these injuries, as they were usually not life threatening. Despite the low Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) scores associated with injuries to the lower extremities, they pose a major physical and psychological burden on patients and their ability to return to pre-crash functioning. Associated injuries, such as mild brain injuries, and psychosocial factors such as depression, also influence the long-term outcome. (Author/publisher)