Trampolines are commonplace in many backyards across the country. Children spend countless summer hours on trampolines, but the danger of trampoline use was put back into the spotlight recently after a three-year-old boy in Florida was injured on a trampoline and required a body cast for recovery.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons is warning parents against the dangers of trampolines, especially for children under six years old. This press release was issued a few years after the American Academy of Pediatrics advised against trampoline use.
According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were approximately 295,000 medically treated trampoline injuries in 2015; 102,943 of those injuries were emergency room visits. In addition, most trampoline injuries (90 percent) are sustained by children between the ages of five and 14 years. Finally, according to brainandspinalcord.org, around 20 percent of injuries to the spinal cord are caused by jumpers bumping into each other, falling on to the springs/frame, or falling completely off of the trampoline.
Because of the possibility of falling from a fairly significant height, the most common types of injuries sustained on trampolines include:
In order to minimize or completely prevent trampoline injuries, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons has released the following guidelines for parents and caregivers:
If you child has recently suffered an orthopedic-related injury from jumping on the trampoline, contact Nevada Orthopedic & Spine Center at (702) 258-3773. We have two locations in the Las Vegas area.
Sources:
http://newsroom.aaos.org/patient-resources/prevent-injuries-america/trampoline-safety.htm https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/Pages/AAP-Advises-Against-Recreational-Trampoline-Use.aspx
brainandspinalcord.org/trampoline-spinal-injury/