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European Spine Journal
Published in: European Spine Journal 6/2006

01-06-2006 | Original Article

Factors predicting outcome after whiplash injury in subjects pursuing litigation

Authors: B. J. A. Lankester, N. Garneti, M. F. Gargan, G. C. Bannister

Published in: European Spine Journal | Issue 6/2006

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Abstract

Records of 277 patients presenting for medicolegal reporting following isolated whiplash injury were studied retrospectively. A range of pre-accident, accident and response variables were recorded. Multivariate analysis was used to determine the main factors that predict physical and psychological outcome after whiplash injury. The factors that showed significant association with poor outcome on both physical and psychological outcome scales were pre-injury back pain, high frequency of General Practitioner attendance, evidence of pre-injury depression or anxiety symptoms, front position in the vehicle and pain radiating away from the neck after injury. The strongest associations were with factors that are present before impact. In this selected cohort of patients, there is a physical and a psychological vulnerability that may explain the widely varied response to low violence indirect neck injury.
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Metadata
Title
Factors predicting outcome after whiplash injury in subjects pursuing litigation
Authors
B. J. A. Lankester
N. Garneti
M. F. Gargan
G. C. Bannister
Publication date
01-06-2006
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
European Spine Journal / Issue 6/2006
Print ISSN: 0940-6719
Electronic ISSN: 1432-0932
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-005-0936-0

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