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Heely injuries: A new epidemic warranting a government health warning!
Lenehan B, Callender O, McIntyre A, Boran S, Moore D, Fogarty E, Dowling F.
INTRODUCTION: Heelys, the new craze gripping the nation, were first introduced to Ireland in 2005 having been available in the United States since 2000. Designed as "the only shoe with a removable wheel in the sole" and initially marketed among rollerbladers and skateboarders they have been adopted by children as contemporary footwear. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From April to June 2006, all patients presenting to trauma orthopaedic services at our institutions with injuries sustained while wearing Heelys were included in this study. RESULTS: Thirty-nine patients are included in this study. The mean age was 9.1 years (range 7-13, median 9 years). Of the 39 patients referred to the orthopaedic service, 8 required admissions to hospital. One patient admitted following a head injury, required craniotomy and evacuation of an extradural haematoma. CONCLUSION: The significance of the injuries encountered demonstrates the potentially devastating results from the use of Heelys. The public perception of safety is incorrect and manufacturers rightly recommend strongly the use of safety gear. (link...)
OBJECTIVES. Our goals were to highlight an increasing trend in orthopedic injuries in children as a result of "heeling" or "street gliding," to describe injuries sustained by children using Heelys (HSL, Carrollton, TX) and Street Gliders (Glowgadgets Ltd, Bristol, United Kingdom), and to increase public awareness and prevent such injuries.
PATIENTS AND METHODS. We prospectively recorded the data of all roller shoes injuries referred to our department during the summer school holiday. Using a data-collection sheet, we recorded demographic data, type of injury, mechanism and place of injury, heeling or street-gliding experience, use of safety equipment, methods of treatment, and intention to continue heeling or street gliding after recovery from injury.
RESULTS. Over a 10-week period, 67 children suffered orthopedic injuries while using Heelys or Street Gliders. There were 56 girls and 11 boys with a mean age of 9.6 years. Upper limbs were the most common location of injury. Distal radius fractures were the most prevalent, followed by supracondylar fractures, elbow dislocations, and hand fractures. The majority of children suffered the injury while heeling or street gliding outdoors. Interestingly, 20% of the injuries happened while trying Heelys or Street Gliders for the first time, and 36% of the injuries occurred while learning (using 1–5 times) how to use them. None of the children used any sort of protective gear at the time of the injury. The majority of the injured children expressed their intention to continue heeling or street gliding after complete recovery from their injury.
CONCLUSIONS. Our study shows that the majority of children with injuries from heeling or street gliding are girls. We recommend close supervision of children using Heelys or Street Gliders during the steep learning curve and usage of protective gear at all times. These new types of injuries have a serious impact on child health and constitute a burden for the pediatric orthopedic service.
I was running an orthotic clinic and reviewed a child with spastic diplegia. The child required bilateral AFO's to counteract a crouched gait. I could not believe it when I seen that this child had wheelies!! The mother thought that this was great and of course that she wanted her child to be like any other child. What a combination; bilateral afo's, a K walker and wheelies!!
I was running an orthotic clinic and reviewed a child with spastic diplegia. The child required bilateral AFO's to counteract a crouched gait. I could not believe it when I seen that this child had wheelies!! The mother thought that this was great and of course that she wanted her child to be like any other child. What a combination; bilateral afo's, a K walker and wheelies!!
Declan
Cut the brake cables to the k walker so the kid can live on the edge.
Hi all,
important to remember though that through everyones childhood we were on skateboards, bikes, trampolines, climed trees etc, etc. obviously care needs to be taken but lets not get too carried away. when i think of the stuff i did it makes heelys sound as dangerous as scrabble! :)
JB
Cut the brake cables to the k walker so the kid can live on the edge.
You're a very bad person!!!
Quote:
when i think of the stuff i did it makes heelys sound as dangerous as scrabble!
Don't underestimate the risks of playing scrabbe. I was lucky to escape alive once! Game started friendly enough, then there was a dispute over the use of the word Qua on a double letter score. Voices were raised, things got heated, tiles got thrown.
In the end one person lost the sight in their left eye and i had to have a tooth re implanted. It wasn't pretty. Sometimes late at night i can still hear the screaming!!!
TV program last year (tried Google for possible research links without success) on the program it was stated that children learn more readily when risk is increased. ie. Children who roller skate, ride bikes etc utilise pathways in their brain to assess, analyse & avoid risk. It teaches them co-ordination and increases their ability to utilise spatial skills.
That being said though I agree with Robert, the poster suggesting we cut the brakes (lol) is indeed a bad man.
I suffered knee problems as a child.
Consultant Orthopod said ''No skateboard''!
Easy peasy , I made one myself, 1 pair of roller skates (undo butterfly nut & extend to full length).
Take 1 piece of wood from dads shed when hes out.
Use dads best Stanley tools to affix wheels to wood.
Tada................
Result =
Consultant put me in leg cast for 9 months to deter my skating.
Humbug.
Robert, monopoly is even more dangerous. My brother (nasty boy) would always resort to violence if he was losing.
Was ok though because I would spit in his tea when he wasn't looking. (worth a bruise or two I think).
That was last year I am more grown up now.
__________________
:)
twirly
Mandy Brooks
Brooks Podiatry
S64 0DE
Suffering a fondness for odd things.
After watching the video- I now understand that the "i" stands for "injury". It is interesting that the demo video involves someone holding on to a shopping cart in a store with wide aisles and smooth clean tile flooring- not to mention the lack of customers. Trying this elsewhere puts the "i" in ishoes.
BACKGROUND:: To determine the incidence and severity of injuries caused by Heelys.
METHODS:: A retrospective review of all fractures presenting to an orthopaedic emergency room at a metropolitan children's hospital during a 90-day period. The type of fracture, mechanism of injury, and management were recorded for each patient. For those injuries related to the use of Heelys, further data were collected including total number of visits, cast changes, and cost. Each Heelys patient/family was contacted and answered a questionnaire detailing their use of Heelys and the events surrounding the injury.
RESULTS:: A total of 953 patients with fractures were evaluated for 90 days. Sixteen patients with 17 fractures (1.68%) were identified as being related to the use of Heelys. This compares to the incidence of fractures in our sample from basketball (6.19%), bicycle (4.41%), football (4.09%), monkeybars (3.78%), skateboarding (3.25%), soccer (2.62%), baseball (2.52%), and trampoline (2.31%). The average age of each Heelys patient was 8.9 years, and 13 patients were girls. There were 16 upper extremity and 1 lower extremity fracture. No patient needed operative treatment or admission. Average number of follow-up visits was 1.6, with an average of 1.4 casts per patient. Average cost per patient was $1368. Ninety-two percent of the Heelys injuries occurred outdoors. Fifty-four percent of children were being supervised when they fell, but only 31% were wearing any safety equipment. Sixty-two percent of parents were not aware that safety equipment was recommended. All 13 parents indicated that they would not purchase another pair of Heelys, and only 23% of the children wanted to keep using Heelys after the injury.
CONCLUSIONS:: The incidence of Heelys injuries (1.68%) was relatively low compared with other common childhood play activities. The fractures were mostly in the upper extremity, and no fracture required surgical intervention or admission to the hospital. Sixty-two percent of the parents were not aware that safety equipment was recommended, and only 31% of the children were wearing safety equipment.
BACKGROUND: "Heelys", or shoes with an integral wheel embedded into the heel, are becoming increasingly popular among children in the UK. Despite the manufacturer's claims about their safety, increasing numbers of patients are attending the emergency department with "Heely"-related injuries. AIM: To assess the number and type of "Heely"-related injuries seen in the emergency department in a busy district general hospital and to assess the number of school days lost as a result of these injuries as a secondary measure of the impact on education and lifestyle.
Method: Medical staff working in the emergency department completed proformas for all children attending the department with "Heely"-related injuries between 26 December and 26 April 2007. Data collected included age, sex, mechanism of injury, diagnosis and number of days off school as a result of the injury.
RESULTS: 35 patients with "Heely"-related injuries of mean age 9.6 years (range 6-15) were identified during the study period. The most common mechanism of injury was a fall onto an outstretched hand (20/35, 57%). Other mechanisms of injury identified were lateral upper limb injury (7/35), traumatic lower limb injury (2/35), rotational lower limb injury (2/35), head injury (2/35) and back injury (2/35). The most common diagnosis was fracture of the distal radius (10/35), two of which had an associated distal ulna fracture. Two tibial fractures and one nasal fracture were also seen. The average number of days off school was 4.5 days (range 0-20). None of the children included in this study were using safety equipment at the time of the injury.
CONCLUSIONS: The number of "Heely"-related injuries seen in one department over a 4-month period suggests a much higher incidence of injuries than the 46/100,000 found by the manufacturers based on Consumer Product Safety Commission data in the USA. The discrepancy is almost certainly due to the reluctance of UK children to use safety equipment and to follow the manufacturer's safety advice. Larger scale studies are needed to confirm the incidence of "Heely"-related injuries in emergency departments across the UK. If the high incidence of injuries among users is confirmed, primary and secondary prevention methods could be considered to reduce injuries.
Heelys shoes are a novel athletic shoe with a concealed wheel. They have been popular among youths since their introduction in 2000. This case study serves as a first look into the biomechanical implications of Heelys shoes on gait. Pressure readings of the forefoot, midfoot, and rearfoot during ambulation in regular athletic-shoe walking, Heelys without the wheel walking, Heelys with the wheel walking, and Heelys skating with the wheel were recorded on a single subject using the Pedar X System. A visual gait analysis was also performed on the subject. The resulting data show increased forefoot and rearfoot pressure while walking with the Heelys with the wheel. The visual gait analysis showed a diminished heel strike and a more rapid forefoot loading. These results demonstrate that Heelys do in fact affect the biomechanics of gait
Injuries associated with Heelys
You're a very bad person!!!
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