Citation

Xu JC, Vargas AJ, Waunch A, Gibbs DL, Cappon JP, Loudon WG, Magge SN. Childs Nerv. Syst. 2022; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s00381-022-05480-0

PMID

35680683

Abstract

American bull riding, once called "the most dangerous eight seconds in sports," is a popular source of entertainment for many [1]. Mechanical bulls (Fig. 1) were originally designed to train cowboys for bull riding and have since gained popularity as sources of entertainment at nightclubs, amusement parks, and parties [2]. The machine replicates the sensation of riding a bull and is designed to dismount the rider, although most are thrown off to land on inflatable or padded flooring (Fig. 2 and Cover). Mechanical bull riding is typically reserved for adults; however, there are modified versions of the machine for children. The safety of these machines has been brought into question due to a number of severe injuries, including traumatic brain injuries (TBIs).

We conducted a retrospective review at Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) in California, of pediatric patients treated for injuries associated with mechanical bull riding. We found nine patients who fit these criteria...

Language: en