Whiplash Quiz: Test Your Knowledge

By Arthur Croft, DC, MS, MPH, FACO

Knowledge and information have never been more critical than in today's aggressive medicolegal theater. This is particularly true when it comes to whiplash injury and justification of care.

1. The currently accepted threshold for injury in a typical rear-impact collision, expressed as a change in velocity or delta V, is:
   1. 10 mph
   2. 5 mph
   3. 2.5 mph
   4. 21 mph
2. Notwithstanding popular theories with regard to thresholds, choose the correct answer:
   1. There is no known threshold crash velocity below which no person would or could be injured
   2. Nearly all persons will be injured in crashes of more than 10 mph delta V
   3. Nearly all persons will be injured in crashes of more than 5 mph delta V
   4. None of these is correct
3. Based on all available literature, including clinical and epidemiological, which of the following is most true concerning occupant risk in rear-impact crashes?
   1. The most reliable indicator or metric for injury risk is the delta V of the vehicle
   2. The most reliable indicator or metric for injury risk is acceleration of the vehicle
   3. The most reliable indicator or metric for injury risk is the amount of property damage to the cars
   4. The most reliable factors are human factors such as sex, age, awareness of the impending collision, et
4. Considering the crash environment, which vehicular factor is the most deterministic of injury in a rear-impact crash?
   1. The year of the vehicle
   2. The type of vehicle
   3. Head restraint geometry
   4. None of these factors is deterministic to a great degree
5. EDR stands for:
   1. Energy-determined risk
   2. Emergency detection requirement
   3. Event data recorder
   4. None of the above is correct
6. Why is "hyperextension/hyperflexion injury" a poor choice of terms to use for diagnosing or describing whiplash?
   1. Because it does not anatomically specify the neck
   2. Because Colossus does not recognize it
   3. Because injury can occur in the absence of hyperextension and/or hyperflexion of the neck
   4. None of the above is correct
7. Which of the following conditions have not been shown to be elevated in persons having a history of whiplash injury?
   1. Breathing disorders
   2. Cardiac disorders
   3. Allergies
   4. Hypertension
8. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reconstructs about 5,000 real crashes every year. These are added each year into a growing database of crashes that one can query, allowing one to conduct qualitative reconstructions by comparing crash damage in these cataloged reconstructed crashes with that of your patient's vehicle. What is the name of this database?
   1. The General Estimated System
   2. The Crashworthiness Data System
   3. The National Automotive Sampling System
   4. The National Crash Data System
9. A prominent disorder among whiplash patients is dizziness. This most often is the result of damage to which tissues:
   1. Intervertebral discs
   2. Skeletal muscles, particularly the intertransversarii
   3. Nerve roots and DRG
   4. Proprioceptive beds in the cervical region
10. Which of the following best describe a grade 1 concussion?
    1. No loss of consciousness; transient confusion; concussion symptoms clear in less than 15 minutes
    2. Brief loss of consciousness; transient confusion; concussion symptoms clear in less than 15 minutes
    3. Brief loss of consciousness; confusion lasting less than 15 minutes; concussion symptoms clear in less than 6 hours
    4. None of the above is correct