SciELO - Scientific Electronic Library Online

 
 issue34A critical review of whiplash associated disorders (I): Is there really an anatomical lesion?Bloodstains?: reliability of the presumptive test author indexsubject indexarticles search
Home Pagealphabetic serial listing  

Services on Demand

Journal

Article

Indicators

Related links

Share


Cuadernos de Medicina Forense

On-line version ISSN 1988-611XPrint version ISSN 1135-7606

Abstract

ORTEGA PEREZ, A.. A critical review of whiplash associated disorders (II): how long will they take to cure?. Cuad. med. forense [online]. 2003, n.34, pp.15-27. ISSN 1988-611X.

Since imaging tests are not appropriate, whiplash associated disorders (WAD) need to be diagnosed and followed up using anamnesis and physical examination of the patient. Signs and symptoms of lesion can be grouped into five severity category levels, while monitoring the frequency and intensity of neck pain may establish the moment of recovery from WAD. A questionnaire is proposed to collate the data relevant for diagnosis and prognosis. Several papers dispute the importance of WAD, because compensation for suffering lends to the suspicion of exaggeration of symptoms. However, the methodological or scientific limitations of these papers must be taken into account. Roughly, 20% of patients will be cured within a week, 50% within a month, 70% within 6 months and 80% within 2 years. One in six will have his/her work ca-pacity restricted longer than six months after the accident. Although several biologic, psychiatric, social or accident-related data can identify the patients with a higher risk of persistent WAD, the biologic model of lesion suggests that this depends on the recuperative capacity of the affected neck structure. A muscle sprain can be healed within weeks or months, while lesion in discs, zygapophyseal joints or capsules will, most probably, cause chronic pain and incapacity. This review concludes by discussing some topics related to therapies directly related to expert witness WAD evaluation.

Keywords : Biological model of lesion; clinical diagnosis; prognosis; review; simulation; therapy; whiplash associated disorders.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )

 

Creative Commons License All the contents of this journal, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License