Injuries to the Head and Face From Skateboarding: A 10-Year Analysis From National Electronic Injury Surveillance System Hospitals

Abstract

To estimate the incidence of patients presenting to emergency departments (EDs) as a result of facial trauma sustained from skateboarding. The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database was queried for skateboard-related head and face fractures, contusions, abrasions, and lacerations from 2009 through 2018. We identified 2,519 reported injuries, extrapolating to a national incidence of 100,201 injuries. Fractures accounted for 14.1% of these visits. There were 355 ED visits for fractures, extrapolating to an estimated 11,893 visits nationally. Entries were tabulated for demographic information, fracture type, mechanism of injury, and disposition. Patients sustaining injury to the head and face were aged 16years, on average, and predominantly male patients (85.9%). Most patients sustaining fractures were male patients (87.9%), with a mean age of 18years. The most common fracture types included unspecified skull fractures (31%), nasal fractures (29%), and mandibular fractures (18%). The most common mechanism of injury was falling off the skateboard while riding (76.9%). Collisions with motor vehicles also accounted for a substantial proportion of the injuries (7.3%). A substantial number of ED visits were a result of skateboarding-related facial trauma.Given the neurologic outcomes of head trauma and functional consequences of facial fractures, especially among adolescents, our findings suggest that injury prevention programs and more aggressive helmet use may be necessary to reduce morbidity and hospitalization.