Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Practice Test

Which of the following body parts are included in the "down and under crash injury"?

1. femurs

2. hips

3. knees

4. spine

The correct answer is: knees

The "down and under crash injury" refers to the pattern of injuries that occur when a person's legs are forced down and beneath the dashboard during a front-end vehicle collision. In such scenarios, the knees are particularly vulnerable because they are positioned in a way that can cause them to strike various structures in the car or become trapped. As a result, injuries to the knees can be common, including ligament injuries or fractures. In contrast, while the femurs, hips, and spine can certainly sustain injuries in a crash, they do not specifically define the "down and under" mechanism. The injuries to those body parts are generally categorized under other injury patterns, such as "up and over" injuries, where the body is propelled upward and forward, or direct trauma from impact points in the vehicle. Thus, the focus on knees as the correct answer captures the specific mechanism involved in "down and under" scenarios, demonstrating a deeper understanding of crash dynamics and related injuries.