Pediatric Trampoline-Related Injuries in a Nationwide Registry in South Korea, 2011 to 2016

Trampolines Versus Playgrounds - A Comparative Assessment of Pediatric Fractures Sustained From Recreational Play

INTRODUCTION

Using the Pediatric Health Information System, this study compared the relative severity of fractures sustained from trampolines with those from other playground equipment.

METHODS

Pediatric patients were identified in the Pediatric Health Information System with trampoline-related injuries (TRIs) or playground-related injuries (PRIs) diagnosed as fractures. Adjustments were made for hospital, year of injury, sex, age, race, median household income, and rurality through propensity score weighting. Four injury-related outcome measures were examined as a proxy for injury severity.

RESULTS

A total of 133,232 patients met inclusion criteria. In unadjusted univariate analyses, TRIs were associated with greater odds of severe fracture and lower odds of receiving surgical treatment (OR = 0.954) compared with PRIs. After adjustment, TRIs sustained in late childhood and adolescence were more likely to receive surgical management (OR = 1.092 and OR = 1.192, respectively) while TRIs sustained in younger children were less likely (OR = 0.607) than PRIs.

DISCUSSION

Youths in late childhood and adolescence are at increased odds of undergoing surgical management after trampoline fractures. Beyond underscoring the risks of trampoline play, our results highlight the importance of considering age in recreational injury epidemiology and the public health safety initiatives aimed at specific age groups.

Trampoline Park Injury Trends

OBJECTIVES

Trampolines are an important cause of childhood injury and focus of injury prevention. Understanding and prevention of trampoline park injury is constrained by inadequate exposure data to estimate the at-risk population. This study aimed to measure trampoline park injury incidence and time trends using industry data.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study to retrospectively analyze reported injuries and exposure in 18 trampoline parks operating in Australia and the Middle East, from 2017 to 2019. Exposure was derived from ticket sales and expressed as jumper hours. Exposure-adjusted incidence was measured using marginalized 0-inflated Poisson modeling and time trends using Joinpoint regression.

RESULTS

There were 13 256 injured trampoline park users reported from 8 387 178 jumper hours; 11% sustained significant injury. Overall, trampoline park injuries occurred at a rate of 1.14 injuries per 1000 jumper hours (95% confidence intervals 1.00 to 1.28), with rates highest for high-performance (2.11/1000 jumper hours, 1.66 to 2.56) and inflatable bag or foam pit (1.91/1000 jumper hours, 1.35 to 2.50) jumping. Significant injuries occurred at a rate of 0.11 injuries per 1000 jumper hours (0.10 to 0.13), with rates highest for high-performance (0.29/1000 jumper hours, 0.23 to 0.36), and parkour (0.22/1000 jumper hours, 0.15 to 0.28) jumping. Overall, injury rates decreased by 0.72%/month (-1.05 to -0.40) over the study period.

CONCLUSIONS

Trampoline park injuries occur in important numbers with sometimes serious consequences. However, within these safety standard-compliant parks, exposure-adjusted estimates show injuries to be uncommon and injury rates to be declining. Further reductions are required, especially severe injuries, and this study can enhance injury prevention initiatives.

A Public Health Review into Two Decades of Domestic Trampoline Injuries in Children within Queensland, Australia

Trampolining as an activity brings enjoyment and many health benefits, but at the same time it carries an injury risk. Most domestic trampoline users are children who are developing in skill, cognition, risk perception, physical strength and resilience to injury. Several common patterns of child trampoline injuries have been identified and countermeasures outlined in standards have been taken to reduce higher risk injury mechanisms, such as entrapment and falls from the trampoline through design, product and point of sale labelling. In Australia, the first national trampoline standard was published in 2003 which introduced improvements in trampoline design and requirements for labelling and padding. This work investigated the potential impact of these and subsequent changes based on almost two decades of emergency department trampoline injury data collected in Queensland, Australia. These data describe the changing representative proportion and pattern of trampoline injuries in Queensland over time by age, mechanism, gender, severity and nature of injury of injured persons up to the age of 14 years. The interrelationships between different injury characteristics were also analysed to propose the main factors influencing injury occurrence and severity. These findings seem to indicate that safety evolution in the form of enclosure nets, frame impact attenuation and entrapment protection have likely improved domestic trampoline safety. Other factors, such as adult supervision, minimum age and avoidance of multiple users, could further reduce injury but are harder to influence in the domestic setting.

Trampoline injuries in children: A prospective study

BACKGROUND

Trampolining is popular and widely practiced among children. A literature review has shown a rise in the incidence of trampoline injuries with a concomitant increase in paediatric emergency department visits. The primary objective of this study was to describe the severity of trampoline injuries in children. The secondary objectives were to assess the epidemiology of the study population and injuries and to describe the treatments.

HYPOTHESIS

We hypothesized that over 10% of trampoline injuries were severe.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We prospectively evaluated consecutive patients seen for surgical conditions at our paediatric emergency department over a 10-month period. Among them, 103 (1.2% of visits) aged 4 months to 16 years (mean, 8 years) had trampoline injuries. We classified trampoline injuries as severe if they required general anaesthesia.

RESULTS

Severe injuries accounted for 16.5% of all trampoline injuries. The upper limb was predominantly affected (70.6% of cases). Overall, 66.7% of fractures were at the upper limb and 76% of contusions at the lower limb. The predominant fracture sites were the supra-condylar humerus (15.3%) and distal radius (15.3%). Among patients with non-severe injuries, four-fifths left the emergency department with a temporary immobilisation system.

DISCUSSION

The proportion of severe injuries was slightly higher in our study than in earlier reports. Trampoline injuries remain uncommon but can be severe. Thus, in our study over one-sixth of patients required surgery under general anaesthesia.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV, prospective descriptive epidemiological study.

Trampoline centre injuries in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis

CONTEXT

No evidence-based review has compared injury risks sustained on trampolines at home and in trampoline centres.

OBJECTIVE

To present pooled results for injury type, site and treatment from studies reporting injuries that occurred on trampolines at home and in trampoline centres.

DATA SOURCES

MEDLINE, Scopus, Google Scholar and Embase databases were searched to 31 December 2021.

STUDY SELECTION

Inclusion criteria: (1) assessment of trampoline injuries (home and trampoline centres); (2) children and adolescents; (3) the point estimate was reported as an odds ratio (OR); and (4) an internal comparison was used.

DATA EXTRACTION

Data were reported according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A random-effects model was used to estimate effect.

RESULTS

There were 1 386 843 injuries (n=11 studies). There was an increased likelihood of musculoskeletal and/or orthopaedic injuries (OR 2.45, 95% CI 1.66 to 3.61, p<0.001), lower extremity injury (OR 2.81, 95% CI 1.99 to 3.97, p<0.001), sprains (OR 1.64, 95% CI 1.36 to 1.97, p<0.001) and a need for surgery (OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.37 to 2.60, p<0.001) at trampoline centres compared with home trampolines. Conversely, upper extremity injury (OR 0.49, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.95, p=0.03), concussion (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.65, p<0.001) and lacerations (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.59, p<0.001) were less likely to occur at trampoline centres than at home.

CONCLUSIONS

Children using trampoline centres are more likely to suffer severe trauma and require surgical intervention than children using home trampolines. Development and implementation of preventative strategies, public awareness, and mandatory safety standards are urgently required for trampoline centres.

Investigation into the Trampoline Dynamic Characteristics and Analysis of Double Bounce Vibrations

Double bounce is an unusual and potentially very hazardous phenomenon that most trampoline users may have experienced, yet few would have really understood how and why it occurs. This paper provides an in-depth investigation into the double bounce. Firstly, the static and dynamic characteristics of a recreational trampoline are analysed theoretically and verified through experiments. Then, based on the developed trampoline dynamic model, double bounce simulation is conducted with two medicine balls released with different time delays. Through simulation, the process of double bounce is presented in detail, which comprehensively reveals how energy is transferred between users during double bounce. Furthermore, the effect of release time delay on double bounce is also presented. Finally, we conducted an experiment which produced similar results to the simulation and validated the reliability of the trampoline dynamic model and double bounce theoretical analysis.

An observational study of trampoline injuries admitted to a Belgian University emergency department between 2011 and 2016

BACKGROUND

Trampoline injuries are a cause for concern and data from different countries indicate that these are increasing. The aim of this study was to collect data in a Belgian University Hospital emergency department.

METHODS

Medical files of patients admitted with a trampoline-related injury between 1st July 2011 and 30th June 2016 were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTS

One hundred and sixty patients, aged between 2 and 64 years old and predominantly males (57%), were admitted most frequently during the months March until September. An increase was observed during the years 2013-2014. Most injuries (76%) occurred during activity on the trampoline. Fractures occurred in 40% of the patients with the extremities most frequently involved. An X-ray examination and a CT scan was performed in 82 and 3% of the cases, respectively. Surgery was carried out in 12% of the patients. 9% of the patients had to be admitted to hospital.

CONCLUSIONS

Trampoline injuries are increasingly observed in the emergency department. These injuries are important and further research on the circumstances and causes for the accidents is needed. Preventive measures, as proposed in the literature, should be considered.

Trampoline-related fractures of the proximal tibia in children

Background

Trampoline-related fractures of the proximal tibial metaphysis are common in children and have been linked to subsequent valgus deformity of the tibia. The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of trampoline-related proximal tibial fractures in young children.

Methods

We evaluated 40 patients with proximal tibial fracture after trampolining between 2013 and 2019. The median duration of follow-up was 18 months. Standing long leg radiographs were obtained at the last follow-up to evaluate angular deformity and limb length inequality in the patients. The measurements recorded include the lower limb length, mechanical lateral distal femoral angle (mLDFA), medial proximal tibial angle (MPTA), mechanical axis deviation (MAD), and anatomical tibio-femoral angle (aTFA). The anterior tilt angle (ATA) was measured using a lateral radiograph of the tibia.

Results

The median age at injury was 40.0 months. Using trampoline with a heavier person was the most common mechanism of injury. aTFA and MAD were found to be increased towards the valgus at the last follow-up in our patient; however, the increase was not statistically significant (p = 0.692 and p = 0.973, respectively). The anterior tilt angle was increased in the injured leg at the last follow-up. But the change was not statistically significant (p = 0.09).

Conclusions

Using trampoline with a heavier person carries the risk of trampoline-related proximal tibial fracture in young children. We did not find a significant change in limb alignment at a minimum of one year of follow-up.

Factors associated with injury severity among users of powered mobility devices

Objective

To examine the features of powered mobility device-related injuries and identify the predictors of injury severity in such settings.

Methods

Emergency Department-based Injury In-depth Surveillance data from 2011 to 2018 were used in this retrospective study. Participants were assigned to the mild/moderate and severe groups based on their excess mortality ratio–adjusted injury severity score and their general injury-related factors and injury outcome-related factors were compared.

Results

Of 407 patients, 298 (79.2%) were assigned to the mild/moderate group and 109 (26.8%) to the severe group. The severe group included a higher percentage of patients aged 70 years or older (43.0% vs. 59.6%, P=0.003), injuries incurred in the daytime (72.6% vs. 82.4%, P=0.044), injuries from traffic accidents and falls (P=0.042), head injuries (38.6% vs. 80.7%, P<0.001), torso injuries (16.8% vs. 32.1%, P=0.001), overall hospital admission (28.5% vs. 82.6%, P<0.001), intensive care unit admission (1.7% vs. 37.6%, P<0.001), death after admission (1.4% vs. 10.3%, P=0.034), and total mortality (0.7% vs. 9.2%, P<0.001). The odds ratios (ORs) for injury severity were as follows: age 70 years or older (OR, 2.124; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.239–3.642), head injury (OR, 10.441; 95% CI, 5.465–19.950), and torso injury (OR, 4.858; 95% CI, 2.495–9.458).

Conclusion

The proportions of patients aged 70 years or older, head and torso injuries, injuries from traffic accidents and falls, and injuries in the daytime were higher in the severe group. Our results highlight the need for measures to address these factors to lower the incidence of severe injuries.

Trampoline-related injuries in children: a nationwide cross-sectional study in South Korea

Objective

Trampoline-related injuries have increased in South Korea. However, little research has been conducted on this topic. This study aimed to show the characteristics of pediatric trampoline-related injuries in South Korea and to investigate the factors associated with admission.

Methods

A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted using data from South Korea’s Emergency Department-based Injury In-depth Surveillance registry for dates between January 2011 and December 2016. All patients under 18 years of age with trampoline-related injuries were included. We divided the patients into two groups based on whether they were admitted or discharged. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated to evaluate the factors associated with hospital admission for pediatric trampoline-related injuries.

Results

A total of 2,745 patients were enrolled and the incidence increased over time (P for trend<0.01). The most common injury site was the lower extremity (45%). Fracture was the most frequent diagnosis (34.3%). Compared to the discharge group, the adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for hospital admission were 3.53 (1.73–7.17) for the teenage group, 2.62 (1.82–3.77) for upper extremity injuries, 18.48 (7.95–42.95) for fractures, 2.28 (1.35–3.86) for falls, and 2.04 (1.15–3.60) for collisions.

Conclusion

Trampoline-related injuries in children have increased over time in South Korea. Most occur in children under the age of 12 years, but children between the ages of 13 and 18 years are at a higher risk for hospitalization. Also, injuries of the upper extremity, fracture, falling, and collision are risk factors for admission. Preventive strategies are needed to reduce trampoline-related injuries in children.

Comparative surgical risk between type of trampoline (size and place) and type of patients (age and sex) in trampoline related injury: a systematic review and indirect meta-analysis

Background

Despite its high risk of injury, many people are still favor trampolining. However, currently there is no consensus as to which type of trampoline and which type of participant is more likely to have a trampoline related injury that will require surgical management.

Methods

This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to assess and compare the factors that cause trampoline injuries requiring surgical treatment. These include the place of the trampoline (park versus home), size of the trampoline (full versus mini), the age of the participant (child versus adult) and the sex of the participant (male versus female). The clinical outcomes measured are surgical management after trampoline injury. This systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines.

Results

Relevant studies that reported surgery after trampoline injury of either group were identified from Medline and Scopus from inception to May 14, 2019. Sixteen studies were included for the analysis of surgery after trampoline injury; a total of 4491 and 1121 patients were treated conservatively and surgically. The total surgery rate per patient was 31% (95% CI: 16, 46%) in all patients. The surgery rate was 0.3 (95% CI: 0.03, 0.58) and 0.06 (95% CI: 0.04, 0.09) in the full and mini size trampoline groups. There were 0.36 (95% CI: 0.06, 0.67) and 0.11 (95% CI: 0.0, 0.22) in the park and home trampoline groups. The surgery rates were 0.33 (95% CI: 0.14, 0.53), 0.24 (95% CI: 0.07, 0.11), 0.49 (95% CI: 0.47, 0.51) and 0.38 (95% CI: 0.22, 0.53) in children, adults, females and males respectively. Indirect meta-analysis shows that full size trampolines provided a 6.0 times higher risk of surgery (95% CI: 3.7, 9.7) when compared to mini size trampolines. Park trampolines had a higher risk of surgery of 2.17 (95% CI: 1.70, 2.78) when compared to home trampolines. In terms of age and sex of participants, there value was significantly higher at 1.65 (95% CI: 1.35, 2.01) and 1.54 (95% CI: 1.36, 1.74) in children compared to adults and females compared to males. From all the statistical data we summarized that the full size trampoline injuries have a 6 times higher risk of requiring surgery when compared to mini size trampoline injuries. Park trampoline use carries a 2 times higher risk of requiring surgery when compared to home trampoline use. In terms of age and sex of the participant, there is a 1.5 times significantly higher risk of injury in children compared to adults, and females when compared to males.

Conclusion

In trampoline related injuries, full size, park trampoline, children and females had higher surgery rates when compared to mini size, home trampoline, adult and male majority in indirect meta-analysis methods.

Demographic changes in US trampoline-related injuries from 1998 to 2017: cause for alarm

BACKGROUND

Recreational sports facilities with trampolines have become increasingly popular, and trampoline-related injuries incurred have been increasing. The goal of this study was to determine impact of recreational sports facilities on trampoline-associated injuries.

METHODS

An epidemiological study was performed using data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS). All patients in the NEISS database coded for trampoline injury were included. Statistical analyses were performed comparing home trampoline injuries (HTIs) and recreational sports facilities-related trampoline injuries (RSIs) for standard demographic variables using appropriated weighted statistical methods.

RESULTS

There were an estimated 1 376 659 emergency department (ED) visits for trampoline related injuries from 1998 to 2017; 125 811 were RSIs and 1 227 881 were HTIs. Between 2004 and 2017, the number of RSIs increased rapidly, while HTIs decreased. RSIs more often presented to large hospitals and HTIs to smaller ones. Strain/sprains were more associated with RSIs, whereas HTIs sustained more internal organ injuries. Lower extremity fractures occurred more frequently in RSIs and upper extremity fractures in HTIs. There was a greater percentage of RSIs in 15-34 years old age group (28.2% vs 13.6%). There were no differences by gender and race between HTIs and RSIs.

CONCLUSIONS

The rapid expansion in recreational sports facilities with trampolines coincided with increasing RSIs. RSIs differed from HTIs regarding changes over time, hospital size, diagnosis and injury location. Recreational sports facilities with trampolines pose a public health hazard.