COMPARISON OF IN-LINE SKATING INJURIES WITH ROLLERSKATING AND SKATEBOARDING INJURIES

Objective.-To describe the estimated relative frequency, types of inju ries, and demographic features of people injured while in-line skating , rollerskating, and skateboarding in the United States. Design.-Case series. Setting.-Emergency department visits to hospitals participatin g in the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. Participants. -All persons treated for a product-related injury involving in-line sk ates, rollerskates, or a skateboard between July 1, 1992, and June 30, 1993. Results.-Approximately 30 863 persons (95% confidence interval, 23 073 to 38 653) were treated for in-line skating injuries during th e study period. For every in-line skating injury, approximately 3.3 ro llerskating and 1.2 skateboarding injuries occurred (P<.0001). The med ian age of those injured in these three sports was 15, 12, and 13 year s, respectively (P<.0001). Sixty-three percent of injured in-line skat ers had a musculoskeletal injury, including 37% with a wrist injury, o f which two thirds were fractures and/or dislocations. Five percent of all injured in-line skaters had head injury and 3.5% of the injured i n-line skaters required hospitalization. Conclusions.-In-line skating and skateboarding injuries resulted in a similar number of emergency d epartment visits, but fewer than that for rollerskating injuries. Beca use wrist fractures were the most common type of injury in all three s ports, wrist protection is needed. Head protection by helmets is recom mended.