Question
Seat belt injuries can result from high-impact events like car accidents where the force exerted by the seat belt can cause various types of trauma. Which of the following is a potential injury directly associated with seat belt use during a vehicular accident?
| A. | Splenic laceration |
| B. |
Splenic contusion |
| C. |
Mesenteric tear |
| D. |
Mesenteric adenitis |
|
Correct Answer » C Explanation |
 |
The seat-belt syndrome refers to a constellation of injuries resulting from the restraint forces exerted by a seat belt during sudden deceleration, such as in a motor vehicle accident.
The lap portion of the seat belt can compress abdominal viscera against the vertebral column, while rapid deceleration produces shearing forces. These mechanisms commonly result in:
- Mesenteric tears
- Small bowel perforation
- Bowel wall hematoma
- Mesenteric vascular injury
- Lumbar spine flexion-distraction injury (Chance fracture)
Among these injuries, mesenteric tear is classically associated with seat-belt trauma.
Why Option C is Correct: Mesenteric Tear
- Caused by shearing forces during rapid deceleration.
- The bowel continues to move while the mesentery is fixed, resulting in tearing.
- May lead to:
- Mesenteric hematoma
- Bowel ischemia
- Internal bleeding
- Delayed bowel perforation
- Often associated with the seat-belt sign (abrasion/ecchymosis across the abdomen).
Why the Other Options Are Incorrect
A. Splenic laceration
- Can occur in blunt abdominal trauma.
- Usually results from impact to the left upper abdomen or lower chest.
- Not considered a characteristic or classic seat-belt injury.
B. Splenic contusion
- Also occurs after blunt trauma.
- Less specific for seat-belt injury than mesenteric tears.
D. Mesenteric adenitis
- Inflammation of mesenteric lymph nodes.
- Usually due to viral or bacterial infection.
- Not a traumatic injury and has no relation to seat-belt trauma.