Seasonal variability and age-related risk in youth trampoline injuries

The aim of this work was to estimate the difference in severity between musculoskeletal trampoline park injuries (TPIs) and home trampoline injuries (HTI) and identify the factors that might mediate or modify that effect.

The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database was used to identify musculoskeletal home trampoline injuries and TPIs in pediatric patients occurring in the 2009-2017 period. Injury mechanism and body region were inductively coded. The effect of TPI on risk of admission was estimated using a doubly robust logistic regression model for confounding adjustment. Adjustments were made for date, age, gender, injury mechanism, and body region. The comparative importance of injury mechanism and location and the effect modification of patient characteristics was explored using likelihood ratio tests.

Trampoline park injuries were more likely to result in admission even in the model adjusted for injury mechanism and body region (odds ratio (OR) = 2.12 [1.30, 3.45]). Injuries sustained from falling off the trampoline were associated with significantly fewer hospitalizations (OR = 0.119 [0.029, 0.495]) than injuries from falling while on the trampoline. Patient age significantly modified the effect of setting on risk of admission (P = 0.042). Adolescents demonstrated an increased risk at trampoline parks (15 years old OR = 3.23 [1.38, 7.56]), whereas younger children demonstrated a marginally lower risk (5 years old OR = 0.77 [0.44, 1.35]).

Trampoline park musculoskeletal injuries demonstrate an increased risk of admission even after rigorous adjustment for confounding. Injuries to the proximal limbs were associated with a much higher risk of admission than distal injuries. Adolescents face an increased risk of admission after TPI, underscoring the importance of public health interventions that target this age group.