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AN ANALYSIS OF ACCIDENTAL FREE FALLS FROM A HEIGHT
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1993
Year
Spring BreakRock SlideEngineeringTraumatologySafety ScienceInjury PreventionVertical Deceleration InjuriesTraffic InjurySport InjuryKinesiologyTransport AccidentKinematicsFall RiskHealth SciencesFall PreventionUrban Blunt TraumaEngineering GeologyMass MovementCivil EngineeringHuman MovementEmergency Medicine
Vertical deceleration injuries represent a distinct form of urban blunt trauma. Mechanisms of injury differ from those of horizontal vehicular trauma, and severity primarily depends on velocity of impact. We describe 33 free-fall injuries in adults occurring under purely nonintentional circumstances at a popular college "spring break" resort. Patterns of injuries were found to differ significantly from previously reported patterns of injuries sustained by adults from both accidental and intentional vertical deceleration.