Orthopedic Injuries Caused by Electric Scooters: A Systematic Review

Orthopedic-related injuries are a significant proportion of electric scooter (e-scooter) injuries that present to hospitals. There is a lack of global regulatory consensus for e-scooter use.

We aimed to synthesize existing data on orthopedic injuries due to e-scooters and identify modifiable risk factors that will help guide policymaking, reduce hospital burden, and aid clinicians in the management of these injuries.

A systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify studies pertaining to e-scooter injuries. The U.S. National Library of Medicine (PubMed/MEDLINE), EMBASE, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were queried for publications from January 1980 to November 2022, utilizing keywords pertinent to electric scooter, orthopedic or musculoskeletal injuries, incidence, and prevalence.

In total, 30 studies met inclusion criteria. Among all riders, 5.5% were helmeted. Among those injured, 26.3% were intoxicated at the time of injury, 7.6% required inpatient admission, and 20.5% required surgery. The most common orthopedic injuries were to the distal extremities, with wrist fractures being the most reported upper extremity fractures (average 14.9%) and ankle fractures being the most reported lower extremity fractures (average 8.3%).

Orthopedic injuries caused by using e-scooters are commonly encountered in the hospital setting. These injuries may continue to rise with the increased accessibility of e-scooters. Lawmakers should instill strict usage guidelines to help prevent injuries from e-scooter use.