Influence of type of helmet on facial trauma in motorcycle accidents

The mandatory use of helmets by motorcyclists has lowered the incidence of facial trauma, but we know little about the effects of different models of helmet on such injuries. We aimed to find out how different types of helmet affect facial injuries. We collected retrospective data from the medical records of 157 patients treated in a trauma centre in metropolitan São Paulo between January and December 2011. Patients wearing open-face helmets were twice as likely to require an operation as those wearing full-face helmets. The type of helmet is strongly associated with the treatment required.