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Monkeybar injuries: complications of play
M L Waltzman1, M Shannon, A P Bowen
1Children's Hospital, Boston, Division of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA 02115, USA. waltzmanvm@a1.tch.harvard.edu
Pediatrics
|May 1, 1999
Summary
Monkeybar/jungle gym (MB/JG) injuries frequently require hospitalization and surgery, especially in younger children. Playground surfaces and adult supervision did not impact injury severity or type.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Traumatology
- Public Health
- Child Safety
Background:
- Playground equipment causes over 200,000 injuries annually, with monkeybars/jungle gyms (MB/JGs), swings, and slides being primary culprits.
- Previous research has not detailed equipment-specific injuries requiring emergency department (ED) evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the spectrum of significant injuries associated with MB/JGs.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective chart review of 204 pediatric patients treated for MB/JG-related injuries at a children's hospital ED over two years.
- A follow-up telephone survey was conducted to gather data on injury location, surface type, and adult supervision.
Main Results:
- Fractures were the most common injury (61%), predominantly upper extremity (90%), including supracondylar fractures (40%).
- Twenty-five percent of patients required hospitalization, with 92% needing operative intervention.
- Injury type was associated with age, with younger children sustaining more long-bone fractures; surface type and adult supervision did not significantly influence injury patterns.
Conclusions:
- A quarter of MB/JG injuries necessitate hospitalization and most require surgery.
- Playground surface material and adult supervision do not appear to mitigate injury severity or type.
- Further research is needed to enhance the safety of MB/JGs for children.