Severity of playground-related fractures: more than just playground factors?

Despite the establishment of playground safety standards, playground-related injuries are still a significant cause of extremity fractures in Singapore. This prospective study evaluates the dimensions and characteristics of our playgrounds, and their effect on fracture severity in an Asian population. We aim to correlate various playground risk factors with severity of the fractures and give recommendations on future safety standards. Our data also allows us to compare the demographics of patients in our study group with that collected in our earlier study in 2004.

From June 2005 to 2006, children who presented with extremity fractures to KK Women's and Children's Hospital after a playground injury were enrolled. Their clinical data were collected prospectively. Relevant playground details were collected on-site independently by another investigator. For analysis of severity, fractures were "major" if they required reduction or operative fixation and were "minor" if they did not.

Supervision at time of injury, especially from the child's parents or siblings, resulted in a lower likelihood of "major" fractures (P=0.002, likelihood ratio=1.97). Conversely, supervision from grandparents or maids was found to result in a higher likelihood of "major" fractures. Increased weight of patients was directly related to severity of fractures (P=0.000), and a body mass index (BMI) of less than 19.8 kg/m resulted in lower likelihood of "major" fractures (P=0.010, likelihood ratio=2.22). Height of equipments and other playground-related factors were not linked to severity of fractures.

Supervision at the playground, preferably from the child's parents or siblings, and keeping a child's BMI within limits as guided by the BMI charts, may potentially reduce the occurrence of severe fractures.

Level I-prognostic study.