Skateboarding Injuries in Children

Motivated by a number of skateboard-related injuries seen in an emergency department, we undertook an investigation of skateboarding injuries in the mid-1980s. We studied US Consumer Product Safety Commission injury frequency estimates, which indicated a resurgence of these injuries: 19,182 in 1984 and 37,180 in 1985. Children 10 to 14 years old were injured with greatest frequency. Nontrivial injuries were more common among children younger than 5 years old, reflecting a larger proportion of head and neck injuries. Boys sustained more frequent and more severe skateboard-related injuries. Observed injury patterns (head and neck injuries in younger children, extremity injuries in older children, and more severe head and neck injuries in older children) probably reflect the role of psychomotor development on both risk exposure and biomechanics. Likely prevention strategies include warnings against skateboard use by children younger than 5 years, prohibition of skateboards on streets and highways, and the promotion of use of helmets and other protective gear.