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Abstract
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OBJECTIVE To describe the injury pattern of skateboarding injuriestoday.
METHODS The pattern of injuries, circumstances, and severitywere investigated in a study of 139 people injured in skateboarding accidentsduring 1995 through 1998 inclusive and admitted to the University Hospital ofUmeå, Umeå, Sweden. This is the only hospital in the area, servinga population of 135,000.
RESULTS Of the 139 injured, 3 were pedestrainshit by a skateboard rider; the rest were riders. The age range was 7 to 47years (mean, 16.0). The severity of the injuries was minor (Abbreviated InjuryScale 1) to moderate (Abbreviated Injury Scale 2); fractures were classifiedas moderate. The annual number of injuries increased during the study period.Fractures were found in 29% of the casualties, and four children hadconcussion. The most common fractures were of the ankle and wrist. Olderpatients had less severe injuries, mainly sprains and soft tissue injuries.Most children were injured while skateboarding on ramps and at arenas; only 12(9%) were injured while skateboarding on roads. Some 37% of the injuriesoccurred because of a loss of balance and 26% because of a failed trickattempt. Falls caused by surface irregularities resulted in the highestproportion of the moderate injuries.
CONCLUSIONS Skateboarding shouldbe restricted to supervised skateboard parks, and skateboarders should berequired to wear protective gear. These measures would reduce the number ofskateboarders injured in motor vehicle collisions, the personal injuries amongskateboarders, and the number of pedestrians injured in collisions withskateboarders.
Language: en |