Roller skating--is it a dangerous sport?

A prospective survey of 111 cases of roller skating injuries within one year are reported. Males were more commonly injured than females. There was a high incidence (86%) of serious injuries, 28% of which required surgical treatment. The wrist (23%) was the commonest region involved, followed by the shoulder (20%), the elbow (15%) and the ankle (12%). Collision with other skaters and loss of control were the main factors leading to injury. Better rink discipline, instruction classes and safety publicity should be helpful in minimising accidents.