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Upper, middle face protected with helmets, use helmet chin caps for lower face

As a bike helmet covers a wearer’s forehead and head, researchers found that the upper and middle face is typically protected from serious injury, but the lower face is exposed and therefore vulnerable to injury.

Researchers suggest the use of helmet chin caps to better protect the lower face while bike riding.

They conducted a PubMed search for the terms “facial trauma OR facial injury OR facial location” AND “helmet OR bicycle helmet OR cycling helmet OR head protective device.” The search yielded 417 papers.

Studies were excluded if they did not include an evaluation of the relationship between bike helmet use and the location of any facial injury, according to researchers.

Four papers out of the 417 met inclusion criteria.

In nonwearers, researchers found a significantly increased risk of upper facial injury, excluding abrasions and contusions, compared with helmet users (n = 2,836; OR=2.07).

There was also a significantly increased risk of middle facial injury in nonwearers compared with helmet wearers (n=2,710; OR=1.97).

Helmet users had a slightly reduced risk of lower facial injury than nonwearers (n=3,198; OR= 1.42).

According to previous research, facial injury occurs in 43 out of 100,000 accidents in the United States.

Nonwearers had a significantly increased risk for injury in the upper and lower face as well as a slight increase in risk for the lower face, which goes mostly unprotected with helmet use.

Wearing a helmet with a chin cap might decrease the risk of lower facial injury according to researchers. – by Abigail Sutton

Disclosure: The researchers reported no relevant financial disclosures.