Inline-skating-verletzungen im kindes- und jugendalter

In-line skating is still a very popular recreational activity as well as a mode of transportation. There have been many reports about the risks. We studied 200 patients between 1997 and 1999, ages 5-16 years, and found that soft tissue injuries and fractures of the upper extremities dominated in out-patients, fracture dislocations of wrist and forearm as well as skull and cerebral trauma in in-patients. One adolescent sustained a poly trauma. Injuries usually occured at non-protected areas of the body, while fractures were rare when using protective gear. The use of protective gear, however, decreased during this time of observation: 66% of the patients failed to use any protective gear, 24% used only partial protection. A review of the literature and our data indicate that with adequate preparation and the use of protective gear the majority of severe injuries and expensive treatment could be avoided. Protective gears should be designed to be more attractive and certified, educational campaigns have to be improved.