Motorized dirt bike injuries in children

The number of dirt bike injuries in children in the United States is increasing and poses a public health problem.

The purpose of our study was to identify the imaging patterns of dirt bike injuries in children and associations with morbidity and mortality.

The study included 85 children (83 boys, 2 girls) <18 year of age (mean age 12.3 years, standard deviation 3 years) with dirt bike injury treated at a tertiary care pediatric hospital. Imaging studies and hospital medical records were reviewed. Outcomes were classified into the following categories: short-term disability, long-term disability or no follow-up available. Imaging studies were reviewed for head, torso, and extremity injuries. One-tailed z test for two proportions was used to determine significant differences between various proportions. Chi-square test with Yates correction was used to determine the significance of long-term disability with injury type.

Long bone fractures were the most common injuries. Lower extremity fractures accounted for 79% of extremity fractures and were significantly more common than upper extremity fractures (p = 0.001). Head injuries included fractures (n = 9), brain contusion (n = 5), and meningeal hemorrhage (n = 2). Head injury was associated with long-term disability (p < 0.0001). All torso injuries were solitary.

Long-term disability was associated with head injuries but not with torso or extremity injuries. Lower extremity injuries were significantly more common than upper extremity injuries. Torso solid organ injuries were uniformly solitary.