Full-face motorcycle helmets to reduce injury and death: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and practice management guideline from the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma. Review uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • BACKGROUND: While motorcycle helmets reduce mortality and morbidity, no guidelines specify which is safest. We sought to determine if full-face helmets reduce injury and death. METHODS: We searched for studies without exclusion based on: age, language, date, or randomization. Case reports, professional riders, and studies without original data were excluded. Pooled results were reported as OR (95% CI). Risk of bias and certainty was assessed. (PROSPERO #CRD42021226929). RESULTS: Of 4431 studies identified, 3074 were duplicates, leaving 1357 that were screened. Eighty-one full texts were assessed for eligibility, with 37 studies (n = 37,233) eventually included. Full-face helmets reduced traumatic brain injury (OR 0.40 [0.23-0.70]); injury severity for the head and neck (Abbreviated Injury Scale [AIS] mean difference -0.64 [-1.10 to -0.18]) and face (AIS mean difference -0.49 [-0.71 to -0.27]); and facial fracture (OR 0.26 [0.15-0.46]). CONCLUSION: Full-face motorcycle helmets are conditionally recommended to reduce traumatic brain injury, facial fractures, and injury severity.

publication date

  • July 7, 2022

Research

keywords

  • Brain Injuries, Traumatic
  • Craniocerebral Trauma
  • Practice Management
  • Skull Fractures

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 85133752675

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2022.06.018

PubMed ID

  • 35821175

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 224

issue

  • 5