Motorised mobility scooters; upper limb fractures in elderly novice users

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Medical Device Safety

Background:

• Motorized mobility scooters (MMS) enhance independence and quality of life for many users.
• Despite benefits, MMS use carries inherent risks, particularly for inexperienced individuals.
• Current safety guidelines and competency testing for MMS users are lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report on upper limb injuries sustained by novice MMS users.
• To identify deficiencies in training and safety protocols for new MMS users.
• To advocate for the implementation of user training programs for MMS.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective case series of three patients admitted with upper limb injuries.
• Analysis of injury circumstances related to novice MMS use (less than 6 weeks experience).
• Review of training and pre-use protocols for the involved individuals.

Main Results:

• Three novice MMS users sustained upper limb injuries within a year.
• All injured users had minimal experience (<6 weeks) and no formal training.
• Injuries occurred in close proximity to users' homes, requiring hospitalization.

Conclusions:

• Novice users of MMS are susceptible to injuries due to lack of formal training.
• The absence of clear safety guidelines and competency testing poses a risk.
• Prescribers should emphasize the importance of driver training for new MMS users.