• Brandon S Zakeri, Christopher G Fox-Good, Manas Nair, Hayden M Jaworski, and Andrew W Froehle.
• Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Dayton, OH, 45409, USA; Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Miami Valley Hospital, 30 E. Apple Street, Suite 2200, Dayton, OH, 45409, USA. Electronic address: bzakerieras@gmail.com.
• Injury. 2024 Nov 1; 55 (11): 111769111769.

IntroductionHoverboards are a popular means of recreation in the United States and are associated with significant injury risk, leading to recent efforts to improve their safety. Prior studies on hoverboard-related injuries were either conducted prior to implementation of safety regulations, consisted of short study intervals, or did not place a focus on injuries as they pertain to the orthopedic specialist. The purpose of this study is to provide an updated assessment of the epidemiology of orthopedic hoverboard-related injuries presenting to US emergency departments.Materials And MethodsA retrospective analysis from 2015 to 2022 of the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database was conducted, limited to product codes detailing hoverboard-related injuries leading to emergency department visits. Diagnoses of interest included fractures, dislocations, contusions/abrasions, and strains/sprains. Diagnoses were further broken down to analyze anatomic region affected. National estimates (NE) were calculated using survey methods. One-way ANOVA and chi square tests were used to test for changes over time in injuries, age, and gender.Results4,718 total hoverboard-related injuries were captured, with a national estimate of 154,121. The majority of patients were under 18 years old (79.6 %; P < 0.001) and female (52.5 %; P = 0.038). Orthopedic injuries accounted for 68.6 % of the total, with no significant year-by-year change in this proportion (P = 0.069). Fractures were the most common orthopedic injury (64.2 %), followed by contusions/abrasions (20.2 %), strains/sprains (14.6 %), and dislocations (1.0 %). Most fractures affected the forearm (33.8 %) followed by the wrist (29.2 %). Injuries peaked in 2018 (NE = 25,192) and 2020 (NE = 24,958), followed by a decline in incidence more recently.ConclusionHoverboard-related injuries continue to be a common presentation to US emergency departments, though injury rates appear to be decreasing. Orthopedic injuries consistently account for the majority of hoverboard-related injuries reporting to emergency departments, with fractures of the forearm and wrist being most common. Continued efforts toward improving safety measures regarding hoverboard use are warranted.Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

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