Adult skateboarding and motorized board injuries: A comparative analysis

Objectives

Skateboarding and motorized boards are popular as a recreational activity and mode of transportation. Prior studies have investigated injury patterns from these activities in the pediatric population, but there is little data in the adult population. This study aims to investigate and compare the type and severity of injuries associated with skateboarding and motorized boards.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of injury data collected from the NIESS (National Electronic Injury Surveillance system) database, including cases of fractures involving skateboards or motorized boards from 2018 to 2022. Data collected was demographic information, injury characteristics (e.g., body region affected, injury type), environmental factors, mechanism of injury, and hospital treatment and disposition. Statistical analysis including chi-square and independent t-test were employed to determine significant differences in injury pattern.

Results

A total of 104,301 cases were included for analysis. 73.0 % of patients were male. 61.8 % of injuries were to the upper extremity. The most common fractures were of the wrist (20.2 %) and ankle (12.4 %). Patients injured on motorized boards were more likely to be older (40.0 ± 15.4 years) than those injured on skateboards (27.8 ± 9.8 years; p < 0.001). 13.9 % of fractures required hospital admission. Skateboard accidents were more likely to present with lower extremity fractures (p < 0.001), despite upper extremity injuries being the majority in both groups. There was a significant association between motorized board injuries and multiple fractures (p < 0.001, OR = 1.2), and hospital admission (p < 0.001, OR = 1.7).

Discussion

Our study shows a high prevalence of upper extremity injuries, regardless of board type. Motorized boards are associated with a higher risk of multiple fractures and hospital admission. Motorized boards likely have increased risk due to their ability to sustain elevated speeds.