Asiana Airlines plane crash victims sustained similar spinal injuries that show the effectiveness of the the aircraft's seat belts.
A great deal of the Asiana Airline crash survivors have unusual spine injuries that show how violent the impact actually was, the Las Vegas Sun reported.
As of right now two people are not able to move their legs, it is not yet known whether their conditions will improve. Doctors have surgically stabilized several other victims' spines. Other injuries include "crushed vertebrae that compress the spinal cord, and ligaments so stretched and torn that they can't hold neck and back joints in place."
All but two of the Asiana Airlines flight 214 passengers survived the crash, and many sustained minimal injuries. Experts believe this is thanks to the plane's safety belts.
The spine trauma shows the passengers were thrown forward and then backward over the seat belts. The injuries are similar to what doctor's used to see in car accidents before the invention of shoulder belts, but even more violent.
Dr. Geoffrey Manley, neurosurgery chief at San Francisco General Hospital who is working with the patients, said putting shoulder belts in airplanes might not improve flight safety.
"If you put in the shoulder belt, it might just move the injuries up further. Your head weighs a tremendous amount," he said.
The airline industry warns installing such safety-belts will be expensive, therefore causing airfare to go up. The changes would also make airline seats much less comfortable.
There are some shoulder restraints in a few business class sections, but these seats usually are designed more like beds.
Dr. David Okonkwo of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, who is not working with the injured passengers, said the "crash position" can make a big difference during emergencies.
The position requires the passenger to put their head down and cover it with their arms. Sitting in the position during a flight emergency can reduce the risk of spinal injury. It is not known if any of the passengers were able to protect themselves this way.
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