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Electric scooter-associated orthopedic injuries cause long absence from work, regret and are emerging as a major cause of hip fractures in young individuals: a comprehensive study from a regional trauma center in a densely populated urban setting

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European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to give a full spectrum of orthopedic injuries associated with electric scooter (e-scooter) use and analyze related factors, report on follow-up data from the patient’s perspective and make a comparative etiological analysis of young adult hip fractures.

Methods

A total of 851 consecutive patients were admitted to the Emergency Department following e-scooter injuries between January 2021 and July 2022, of whom 188 had 214 orthopedic injuries. The demographics, injury, and incident characteristics of these patients were collected. All fractures were classified as per the AO/OTA classification. Two groups were created as operatively or conservatively treated patients and data were comparatively analyzed. Follow-up examination incorporated a survey using binary questions on patients’ perspectives. An etiological comparative analysis of hip fractures in young adults admitted to the same center between 2016 and 2022 was conducted.

Results

The median patient age was 25. Inexperienced drivers constituted 32% of the injured. The protective gear use rate was at 3%. Higher speed (p = 0.014) and age (p = 0.011) were significantly associated with operative treatment. A total of 39% of the operated patients could not return to preinjury physical function, while 74% regretted using an e-scooter. The most common etiological factor for traumatic young hip fractures was fall from a height between 2016 and 2020, whereas it became e-scooter accidents in 2021–2022.

Conclusion

The rate of e-scooter-related operative treatment is high and leaves the patient in regret (84%) and a physically limited condition (39%). A speed limit of ≤ 15 km/h could decrease the rate of operative injuries. The e-scooter was identified as the top etiological factor in the last 2 years for traumatic young hip fractures.

Level of evidence

II, Diagnostic cohort study.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Istanbul Kartal Dr. Lutfi Kirdar Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey

    Mahmut Enes Kayaalp, Nazim Canberk Kilic, Ibrahim Kandemir, Mazlum Bayhan & Engin Eceviz

  2. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA

    Mahmut Enes Kayaalp

Authors
  1. Mahmut Enes Kayaalp
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  2. Nazim Canberk Kilic
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  3. Ibrahim Kandemir
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  4. Mazlum Bayhan
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  5. Engin Eceviz
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mahmut Enes Kayaalp.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other support were received during the preparation of this manuscript. The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose. There are no competing interests.

Ethical approval

This study was performed in line with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The institutional ethics committee approval was obtained (2022/514/234/10) prior to the start of this study.

Supplementary Information

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary file1 FIGURE 1: Radiographical images of several patients aged ≤40 with a hip fracture (PNG 4802 KB)

68_2023_2322_MOESM2_ESM.png

Supplementary file2 FIGURE 2: The radiological images of some severe and rare traumatic lower extremity cases from the study cohort. The following injuries can be seen. Patient 1: pediatric segmentary femur body fracture (7/M), Patient 2: pediatric displaced tibial eminentia fracture (11/F), Patient 3: knee fracture-dislocation (29/M), Patient 4: intra-articular femur distal medial condyle fracture (53/M), Patient 5: adult isolated traumatic hip dislocation (49/F), Patient 6: ankle fracture-dislocation with a displaced posterior malleolar and Maisonneuve injury (21/F) (PNG 5431 KB)

68_2023_2322_MOESM3_ESM.png

Supplementary file3 FIGURE 3: The radiological images of some severe upper extremity cases from the study cohort. Patient 1: comminuted, displaced intra-articular distal radius fracture (22/M), Patient 2: terrible triad with medial and lateral side ligament injuries, radial head and coronoid process fracture-dislocation (31/M), Patient 3: locked inferior glenohumeral fracture-dislocation with pectoralis major tear, which allowed the humerus to adduct. The 3D-reconstructed CT images from anterior and posterior show the comminuted fracture of the humeral head locked under the anteroinferior glenoid rim (42/M), Patient 4: anterior glenohumeral dislocation with concomitant displaced bony Bankart and major tubercle fracture (43/M) (PNG 6002 KB)

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Kayaalp, M.E., Kilic, N.C., Kandemir, I. et al. Electric scooter-associated orthopedic injuries cause long absence from work, regret and are emerging as a major cause of hip fractures in young individuals: a comprehensive study from a regional trauma center in a densely populated urban setting. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg 49, 2505–2513 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00068-023-02322-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00068-023-02322-9

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