Seat Belt Trauma to the Lumbar Spine

To the Editor:—  Seat belts save lives, but do not alter the force sustained in an accident. They do alter its distribution, placing it across the less vulnerable pelvic area.¹ Abdominal injuries have been caused by lap-type seat belts after sudden deceleration. The characteristic injury pattern has been popularized as the "seat belt syndrome." These injuries are secondary to the restraint provided by the belt during deceleration. While diverse injuries occur even with these safety devices, most are far less severe than the trauma they serve to prevent.^2-4Trauma is usually of the blunt type. Reports of trauma to the lumbar portion of the spine in patients wearing seat belts are infrequent. A patient with this type of injury is presented.

Report of a Case:—  A well-developed, 52-year-old white woman was admitted to the Long Island Jewish Hospital after injury in a two-car collision. The patient was a