Skateboard Injuries Reaching Extremes
Skateboard Injuries Reaching Extremes
Oct. 11, 2002 -- Extreme skateboarding might be all the rage, but a growing number of skateboarders are finding themselves in the emergency room with a raging injury. A new study shows skateboarding injuries doubled between 1993 and 1998, and they continue to grow by an average of 16,500 fractures, sprains, and cuts each year.
Researchers say that compared with other sports, skateboarding is relatively safe. But they warn that a lack of standards for safety equipment and the growing popularity of extreme forms of the sport have caused the rate of skateboarding-related injuries to grow faster than the number of people who start skateboarding.
"Changes in the nature of the sport could account for the increased rate of injury," says researcher Flaura K. Winston, MD, PhD, of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, in a news release. "In the 1990s, the sport transitioned from a 1980s style known as 'vert,' which used 10-foot-high ramps, to 'street skating.' Street skating uses lower ramps and increasingly complex stunts and tricks. As its name suggests, this style encourages people to literally skate in the streets."
The study found injuries requiring hospitalization were 11 times more likely to have been caused by contact with a vehicle than those that were less serious.
The findings appear in the October issue of the Journal of Trauma.
The researchers say it's the first study to compare injury rates from skateboarding with other popular youth sports. They found the number of skateboarding-associated injuries treated in emergency rooms across the U.S. in 1998 per 1,000 participants was twice as high as that found for in-line skating, but only half as high as basketball.
The study looked at federal statistics on product-related injuries as well as surveys from the National Sporting Goods Association.
The statistics show that the rate of skateboard-related injuries actually dropped significantly between 1987 and 1993, but this period was followed by a steep rise, especially among young adults and adolescents. Researchers say males had the highest rates of injuries and the most common types of injuries were wrist fractures, ankle strain/sprain, face cuts, and wrist strain/sprain.
Researchers say that compared with other sports, skateboarding is relatively safe. But they warn that a lack of standards for safety equipment and the growing popularity of extreme forms of the sport have caused the rate of skateboarding-related injuries to grow faster than the number of people who start skateboarding.
"Changes in the nature of the sport could account for the increased rate of injury," says researcher Flaura K. Winston, MD, PhD, of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, in a news release. "In the 1990s, the sport transitioned from a 1980s style known as 'vert,' which used 10-foot-high ramps, to 'street skating.' Street skating uses lower ramps and increasingly complex stunts and tricks. As its name suggests, this style encourages people to literally skate in the streets."
The study found injuries requiring hospitalization were 11 times more likely to have been caused by contact with a vehicle than those that were less serious.
The findings appear in the October issue of the Journal of Trauma.
The researchers say it's the first study to compare injury rates from skateboarding with other popular youth sports. They found the number of skateboarding-associated injuries treated in emergency rooms across the U.S. in 1998 per 1,000 participants was twice as high as that found for in-line skating, but only half as high as basketball.
The study looked at federal statistics on product-related injuries as well as surveys from the National Sporting Goods Association.
The statistics show that the rate of skateboard-related injuries actually dropped significantly between 1987 and 1993, but this period was followed by a steep rise, especially among young adults and adolescents. Researchers say males had the highest rates of injuries and the most common types of injuries were wrist fractures, ankle strain/sprain, face cuts, and wrist strain/sprain.
Source...