OBJECTIVE: To assess the types of injuries, the extent of short-term disability, and the degree of healthcare utilization in skatepark-injured patients. DESIGN: The study design was a prospective case series with 1-year follow-up. SETTING: Level I trauma center and emergency department located in Orange, California. PARTICIPANTS: Subjects age 7 years or older who sustained an injury at a local skatepark and were treated in our emergency department were included in the study. Ninety-five subjects were enrolled with a total of 97 injury encounters. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Types of injuries, extent of short-term disability, degree of healthcare utilization. RESULTS: Emergency department diagnoses included 57 fractures, 6 dislocations, 15 strains/sprains/contusions, 7 lacerations, 2 dental fractures, 9 head injuries, and 1 intra-abdominal injury. Nine of the emergency department encounters terminated in admission to the hospital. The peak sum of time lost from school, work, parental time lost from work, and specialist visits were found to occur at 1 month postinjury. Similarly, the number of postinjury follow-up medical visits peaked at the 1-month interval. Subject disability was largely categorized as moderate initially, with a subsequent reduction to no disability by the 9th postinjury month. CONCLUSION: Skatepark-related injuries can yield substantial time lost from school and work, considerable short-term disability, and an increase in healthcare resource utilization.
OBJECTIVE: To assess the types of injuries, the extent of short-term disability, and the degree of healthcare utilization in skatepark-injured patients. DESIGN: The study design was a prospective case series with 1-year follow-up. SETTING: Level I trauma center and emergency department located in Orange, California. PARTICIPANTS: Subjects age 7 years or older who sustained an injury at a local skatepark and were treated in our emergency department were included in the study. Ninety-five subjects were enrolled with a total of 97 injury encounters. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Types of injuries, extent of short-term disability, degree of healthcare utilization. RESULTS: Emergency department diagnoses included 57 fractures, 6 dislocations, 15 strains/sprains/contusions, 7 lacerations, 2 dental fractures, 9 head injuries, and 1 intra-abdominal injury. Nine of the emergency department encounters terminated in admission to the hospital. The peak sum of time lost from school, work, parental time lost from work, and specialist visits were found to occur at 1 month postinjury. Similarly, the number of postinjury follow-up medical visits peaked at the 1-month interval. Subject disability was largely categorized as moderate initially, with a subsequent reduction to no disability by the 9th postinjury month. CONCLUSION: Skatepark-related injuries can yield substantial time lost from school and work, considerable short-term disability, and an increase in healthcare resource utilization.