Playground injury prevention

Playground safety recently has received increasing attention from parents and municipalities. Orthopaedic surgeons treat a large number of the more than 350,000 injuries per year sustained on the play areas of this country's school, home, and community play areas. A parent brings a child to the playground for fun, healthy exercise, and imaginative play. Unfortunately, most parents may not be aware of recommended injury prevention methods. Data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission and other epidemiologic studies document frequency, identify at-risk activities and equipment, give direction for additional research, and guide regulations. It is appropriate for the medical community to lead in this safety effort and to contribute to additional research and advocacy efforts.