The Common-Lower Body Injuries Suffered in Motor Vehicle Accidents
It’s long been known that many common injuries sustained in car and truck accidents involve the hips, legs, knees, and ankles. In fact, as motor vehicles have become safer, the relative rates of lower-extremity injuries have gone up. Safety experts say that the reduced incidence of head, thoracic, and abdominal injuries accounts for the increase. Lower-body injuries can result when another vehicle collides with the side of the car, causing direct impact, or when a head-on or rear-end collision thrusts a passenger forward into the small, contained area under the dashboard.
The Different Types of Lower-Extremity Injuries Caused by Auto Accidents
A motor vehicle wreck can lead to serious trauma to legs, knees, and ankles:
- Serious sprains, strains, and connective tissue injuries – The force and impact of a car crash can stretch, tear, or sever ligaments, tendons, muscles, and cartilage in the lower extremities. The knees, with four different ligaments, are particularly vulnerable. A motor vehicle wreck can also lead to tears in the meniscus, the cartilage that provides cushioning in the knee. Ankles are also prime candidates for serious sprains or strains.
- Fractures – The bones in your feet are more prone to fractures due to their small size. And though leg bones are strong, the force of a collision can cause stress fractures or even clean breaks.
It’s important, in the aftermath of an automobile accident, to pay attention to any discomfort in your hips or ankles and seek immediate treatment. Pain or discomfort in the hip or ankle can cause you to change the way you walk or do other things, which can subsequently put undue stress on other parts of your lower body, such as your knees or feet. A common malady that often arises when an injury changes your gait (the way you walk) is plantar fasciitis, a painful inflammation in the arches of your feet.
Accident Centers of Texas—Dedicated to Maximizing Your Health
At Accident Centers of Texas, we channel all our efforts for a single purpose—to help you return to optimal health. We work with injured patients at eight convenient locations, including Dallas, Pleasant Grove, Oak Cliff, Fort Worth, Arlington, Irving, Garland, and Frisco. When you need immediate attention, we’re usually able to schedule a same-day appointment. Based on your medical condition and treatment you need, you’ll be seen by a nurse practitioner, chiropractor, or both.
Appointments are available Monday through Thursday, 9:00 A.M. – 7:00 P.M., Fridays 9:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M., and Saturdays 10:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M. If you are unable to drive or don’t have transportation, we can arrange to pick you up and get you back home. To set up a visit, call us at 214-974-4041 or contact our offices.
