Copyright © 2019 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited. Original article 555 1060-152X Copyright © 2019 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved. DOI: 10.1097/BPB.0000000000000653 Hoverboard injuries in children and adolescents: results of a multicenter study Pooya Hosseinzadeh a , Clarabelle Devries a , Roger E. Saldana b , Susan A. Scherl c , Lindsay M. Andras d , Mathew Schur d , Franklin D. Shuler f , Megan Mignemi g , Arya Minaie a , Alice Chu h , Eric D. Fornari i , Steven L. Frick e , Michelle S. Caird j , Anthony I. Riccio k , Kristen Pierz l , Christos Plakas m and Martin J. Herman n With the increasing popularity of hoverboards in recent years, multiple centers have noted associated orthopaedic injuries of riders. We report the results of a multi-center study regarding hoverboard injuries in children and adolescents. Children who presented with extremity fractures while riding hoverboards to 12 paediatric orthopaedic centers during a 2-month period were included in the study. Circumstances of the injury, location, severity, associated injuries, and the required treatment were recorded and analysed using descriptive analysis to report the most common injuries. Between-group differences in injury location were examined using chi- squared statistics among (1) children versus adolescents and (2) males versus females. Seventy-eight patients (M/F ratio: 1.8) with average age of 11 ± 2.4 years were included in the study. Of the 78 documented injuries, upper extremity fractures were the most common (84.6%) and the most frequent fracture location overall was at the distal radius and ulna (52.6%), while ankle fractures comprised most of the lower extremity fractures (66.6%). Majority of the distal radius fractures (58.3%) and ankle fractures (62.5%) were treated with immobilization only. Seventeen displaced distal radius fractures and three displaced ankle fractures were treated with closed reduction in the majority of cases (94.1% versus 66.7%, respectively). The distal radius and ulna are the most common fracture location. Use of appropriate protective gear such as wrist guards, as well as adult supervision, may help mitigate the injuries associated with the use of this device; however, further studies are necessary to demonstrate the real effectiveness of these preventions. J Pediatr Orthop B 28:555–558 Copyright © 2019 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved. Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics B 2019, 28:555–558 Keywords: closed reduction, fractures, hoverboard, immobilization a Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, b Baptist Children’s Hospital, Miami, Florida, c University of Nebraska, Omaha, Nebraska, d Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, e Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, f Marshall University Orthopaedic Surgery, Huntington, West Virginia, g Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, h NYU Department of Orthopedic Surgery, New York, i Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, j Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, k Texas Scottish Rite Hospital, Dallas, Texas, l Connecticut Children’s Hospital, Hartford, Connecticut, m Monmouth Medical Center, Long Beach, New Jersey and n St. Christopher Children’s Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA Correspondence to Pooya Hosseinzadeh, MD, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Washington University, 1 Children’s Place, Suite 4S60, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA Tel: +1 314 607 2409; fax: +1 314 454 4562; e-mail: hosseinzadehp@wustl.edu Introduction Hoverboards are self-balancing two-wheeled boards that have become popular recreational devices in the past few years. In 2015, over 2.5 million hoverboards were sold in the US [1]. As this device has become more ubiquitous, so have injuries associated with its use. A review of the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System reported 47 277 injuries related to hoverboard use between 2011 and 2015, with an average 208% increase in injuries in 2015 [2]. There have also been scattered reports on mus- culoskeletal injuries associated with hoverboards. One case series reported on 13 Seymour fractures of the hand in association with misuse of hoverboards [3]. Another case series reported on 35 patients presenting to out- patient paediatric orthopaedic clinics with hoverboard associated injuries and found upper extremity injuries in 88.9% of patients with 93.6% of these injuries being fractures [4]. Although it seems that hoverboard use may result in signifcant musculoskeletal injury, prior investigations have included relatively small numbers of patients and have provided little detail on injury severity or management. The purpose of this study is to report on orthopaedic injuries associated with hoverboard use in children and adolescents presenting to 12 paediatric medical centers. Information was collected regarding injury location and treatment required in order to better understand severity of injury. By characterizing the nature and severity of hoverboard related injuries in a broader, national population, we aim to elucidate measures to prevent orthopaedic injury and formulate generalizable recommendations.