Masters Theses

Date of Award

8-2001

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Industrial Engineering

Major Professor

Tyler Kress

Committee Members

John Hungerford, Reid Kress

Abstract

In this retrospective study, data from personal watercraft (PWC) accidents are examined in order to increase the understanding of lower leg injuries resulting from PWC sports activities. The literature indicates that approximately 33% of all PWC related injuries involve the lower leg, yet studies containing detailed reports of such injuries are scarce. Three major PWC manufacturers provided the data for this study. The data included associated x-rays and medical records from treating physicians, and sometimes witness descriptions of the accidents. The synopsis of each accident can give important details such as demographics of the injured person, make of the PWC(s) involved, and the injuries sustained. The x-rays provide objective data regarding the resulting fracture. Each accident summary is discussed such that the injured parties remain undisclosed. A refined literature review provides summary information as to the anatomy of the leg as well as the injury causing mechanisms. In summary, of the twenty-seven files, sixteen are external rotation injuries. In other words, 59.3% of the injuries are primarily the result of an external rotation movement of the foot. Also, nine out of twenty-seven, or 33.3% are due to one of the bending mechanisms (impact or inertial bending). The 33.3% of injuries primarily due to bending are is broken up into 11.1% pure bending, 7.4% impact, and 14.8% inertial bending. The remaining two, or 7.4% were primarily caused by an axial mechanism. An interesting observation is that the results in this study indicate that the most common motion resulting in ankle fracture is external rotation. This is also sited as the most common motion that results in ankle injury in "Fractures of the Lower Extremity", by J. Charles Taylor, as stated in chapter Hi's literature review.

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