Bicyclist Injuries Leading to Permanent Medical Impairment

Paper in proceeding, 2025

In Sweden, cyclists account for a higher proportion of hospital-reported crashes than any other road user [1].
However, most bicycle crash injuries are non-fatal, with cyclists making up around 3% of all road fatalities.
Hospital data shows that the most frequently injured body regions in bicycle crashes are the upper extremities
(37%), followed by lower extremities (30%), and head injuries (26%) [2]. The injury patterns in single bicycle
crashes versus bicycle-car crashes differs [3]. Few studies have had the opportunity to study if long term
consequences arise from bicycle crashes [4]. The existing studies primarily focus on serious injuries that have
required hospital care. Hence, aim of this study was to analyse injuries leading to permanent medical
impairment (PMI) in bicycle crashes, with a general overview and a specific focus on those affecting the upper
extremities.