Spinal fractures a common injury after Asiana plane crash

Asiana Airlines

Maggie Fox, Senior Writer NBC News

22 hours ago

Many of those hurt in the crash of Asiana Airlines Flight 214 on Saturday have spinal injuries, according to a doctor who treated them and theyll likely need long-term treatment.

Patients have fractured spines, stretched ligaments and head injuries, said Dr. Geoff Manley, vice chairman of neurological surgery at the University of California San Francisco. The pattern of injuries is surprisingly similar, he told NBC News, and paints a picture of people badly bounced around as the plane hit short of the runway and tumbled.

There was some blunt force injury from seatbelts and people striking their heads against the seat and armrests, Manley, who treated many of the patients at San Francisco General Hospital, said in a telephone interview.

We have a lot of spine trauma. Peoples spinal cords were fractured and hyper-extended, meaning theyll need to be kept stable so the spinal cord itself isnt damaged any more.

There are some people very, very badly hurt. San Francisco General treated 53 patients, 34 of whom have been discharged. Hospital officials said six of the patients there were in critical condition.

"These injuries include large abdominal injuries, spine fractures, head traumas, and orthopedic injuries," Dr. Margaret Knudson, chief of surgery at the hospital, told a news conference.

Some of the worst injuries are traumatic brain injury, Manley added. Some passengers also suffered internal injuries from being flung against their seat belts. They were all in the same type of seats, and they all had their seat belts on, he said. So many of the injured have the same types of spinal damage.

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Spinal fractures a common injury after Asiana plane crash