Adil H. Haider, MD, a surgeon and professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, recently led a study finding that wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle can help prevent spine and brain injuries, according to a Baltimore Sun report.
Previous studies conducted more than 25 years ago found that wearing a helmet while riding could actually cause spinal injury. However, Dr. Haider said the findings were based on a faulty study and helmets have become lighter and sturdier since then.
“Using this new evidence, legislators should revisit the need for mandatory helmet laws,” said Dr. Haider in the report. “There is no doubt that helmets save lives and reduce head injury. And now we know they are associated with decreased risk of cervical spine injury.
Only 20 states currently require motorcyclists to wear helmets. The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, found that riders wearing helmets were 22 percent less likely to suffer a cervical spine injury. The study also showed that wearing a helmet decreased the odds of traumatic brain injury by 65 percent and the odds of death by 37 percent.
Read the Baltimore Sun report on helmets preventing spinal cord injury.
Read other coverage on spine studies:
- Study: Spine Surgery Better for Diabetic Patients With Spinal Stenosis, Degerative Spondylolisthesis
- Study: Fetal Surgery for Spina Bifida Can Lead to Better Outcomes for Children
- 5 Studies at the Forefront of Spine Surgery