Survey of injuries and protective gear worn by in-line skaters in public parks

In-line skating, also known as rollerblading, has become popular as a recreational activity as well as a mode of transportation. Increased participation has been accompanied with a marked rise in major and minor injuries. The objective of this study was to survey active in-line skaters and to describe their demographic features, formal training, protective gear used, and a history of incurred injuries. A questionnaire was distributed to randomly selected in-line skaters in a large public park in New York City. Of the 223 skaters who responded, 128 were male and 95 were female. Ages ranged from 12 to 64 (mean, 29) yr. Some kind of injury was reported by 87 (39%) of the participants. The majority of those injuries occurred when the skaters were beginners (46). Skin abrasions and musculoligamentous injuries were the most common. Only 15 (17.2%) sought medical treatment, and of these, 5 were treated for fractures: 3 at the wrist and 1 each at the ankle and knee. The knee was the most commonly injured part of the body (24.7%), followed by the elbow and wrist. Approximately 5% of all injuries involved the head. Many skaters did not wear helmets or knee pads, even though they owned this equipment. There was a strong preference for wearing wrist pads, either alone or with other protective gear. This suggests that skaters have learned that the wrist is particularly vulnerable to serious injury and should be protected.