Motorcycle-Associated Ocular Injuries: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Purpose Motorcycle-related injuries involving the eye and orbit are not well characterized, with a paucity of prospective studies focusing specifically on motorcycle-associated eye injuries nor literature reviews having been conducted on the subject. To better understand the injury types and descriptive characteristics of patients experiencing motorcycle-associated eye injuries, we sought to conduct a narrative review. Methods The research team utilized the following databases: PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science to query for English articles from peer-reviewed journals that provided some patient data regarding eye injury due to motorcycle or moped accidents or usage. Results A total of 65 studies were included in our qualitative synthesis. Of these studies, 40 (61.5%) were case reports, 20 retrospective case series (30.8%), and five (7.69%) were observational prospective studies. Among the 25 retrospective and prospective studies, 12 (48.0%) of these studies primarily focused on motorcycle-associated injuries. These 65 studies described a wide variety of motorcycle-associated eye injuries, including but not limited to orbital fractures and associated sequelae, foreign bodies, vitreoretinal trauma, neuro-ophthalmic trauma, corneal injuries, open globe injuries, lacerations, and globe avulsions. Conclusion The current state of the literature indicates that knowledge regarding the ocular manifestations of motorcycle accidents is limited to mostly case reports and few retrospective cohort studies focused specifically on motorcycle-associated eye injuries. However, it is evident that the types of motorcycle-associated eye injuries are legion and predominantly seen in adult males, potentially leading to severe injuries and loss of vision and blindness.

Presentations and Incidence of Ocular Injuries Caused by Motorcycle Accidents in Iraq

“…Ocular injuries resulting from motorcycle accidents can range from mild to severe and can have lasting effects on vision; motorcycle accidents often expose riders to various types of impact debris and forces that can directly or indirectly lead to ocular injuries. 4 The age and sex distribution in the current study were in agreement with the results of Larona and Pe-Yan (2012), as they studied 34 cases of motorcycle ocular injuries and reported a mean of 27.1 years, and 88.2% of their study sample was composed of males. 23 Hsieh et al (2017) reported that 6,072 were admitted due to motorcycle injuries, 994 (16.4%) of them were ≥ 65 years, and 5078 (83.6%) were aged between 20-64 years; however, females formed 41.9% of the elderly and 42.9% of adults.…”

“…26 To the best of our knowledge, no study directly reported open globe injury due to motorcycle injury, rather aggregated road traffic accidents cases, Upaphong et al (2021) reported that motorcycle injuries constituted 56.3% of patients aged <20 years, 25% (age 20-39 years), 15% (aged 40-59 years), and 20% (age >60 years), and in all patients, hyphema were seen in 55.4%, lens injuries (52.5%), and uveal prolapse (55.4%). 27 In a review done by it was reported that blowout fractures were the third observed mechanism for orbital fractures, 28 Also other studies reported that motorcycle accidents were the leading cause of orbital/ facial fractures. 29,30 Direct contact between the eye and a chemical (e.g., gasoline), or even chemical fumes, can cause burns.…”

“…1,3 While a relatively small proportion of eye injuries contribute to these statistics through motorcycle accidents, it is important to recognize that eye injuries and vision loss can occur as a result of motorcycle crashes. 4 Therefore, it is strongly advised that both motorcyclists and their passengers consistently wear appropriate eye protection whenever they ride their bikes. 5 Recent data from the United States indicates a 10.5% rise in such incidents in 2021 compared to 2020.…”