Injury patterns of e-scooter-related orthopaedic trauma in central London: a multicentre study

Electric scooters (e-Scooters) are being increasingly used in urban areas as a new means of transport. E-scooter sharing schemes have recently been piloted in the United Kingdom; however, there are no published data on orthopaedic injuries and user behaviour patterns in the UK. We aim to identify the patterns and severity of orthopaedic injuries related to e-scooter use.

We performed a retrospective review of all orthopaedic referrals relating to e-scooter use from 1 March to 30 November 2020 at three hospitals, including one major trauma centre in central London. Data including patient demographics, mechanism of injury, diagnosis and treatment were collected.

One hundred and five orthopaedic injuries were identified in 83 patients. The median age was 32 years and 83% were male. Seventy-nine (95.2%) patients were riders, four were pedestrians. All e-scooters were privately owned. There were 93 fractures (88.6% of total injuries noted) including 12 (12.9%) open. Fifty-two (56.0%) were upper limb fractures, 39 (41.9%) lower limb and 2 (2.1%) spinal and rib fractures. Twenty-five patients (30.1%) required an operation and 29 (34.9%) required hospital admission. Helmet use was present in 34.1%. The most common place of injury was the road (65.1%) followed by pavement (32.9%).

E-scooters can cause serious injury, most commonly in males. There was an equal distribution of upper and lower limb injuries, with many associated with high-energy trauma requiring operative intervention. Helmet use was seen in one third of riders. As e-scooter use continues to increase across the UK, additional steps should be taken to ensure the safety of the riders and public.