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AAOS releases statement about trampolines and safety
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A press release from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons warns parents and young children about the dangers of trampolines.
There were more than 295,000 medically treated trampoline injuries in the United States in 2015, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, with sprains and fractures as the most common trampoline injuries resulting from falls on the trampoline mat, frame or springs; collisions with one or more jumpers; stunts gone wrong; and falls off the trampoline on the ground or other hard surface. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) noted that more than 90% of trampoline injuries are sustained by children usually between the ages of 5 years and 14 years.
“We want children to enjoy exercise and physical activity, especially during the summer months, but parents and caregivers should know about the dangers of trampolines and the risk for serious injury, especially in young children,” Jennifer M. Weiss, MD, AAOS spokesperson and Los Angeles pediatric orthopedic surgeon, said in the release. “Children younger than age 6 are less likely to have the coordination, body awareness and swift reaction time necessary to keep their bodies, bones and brains safe on trampolines.”
To minimize and avoid trampoline injuries, the AAOS recommends that parents and caregivers:
- do not allow children younger than 6 years of age to use trampolines;
- provide careful adult supervision, proper safety measures and instruction when trampolines are used for physical education, competitive gymnastics, diving training and other similar activities;
- allow only one participant at a time to use a trampoline;
- ensure that spotters are present when participants are jumping and that somersaults or high-risk maneuvers are only performed with proper supervision and instruction and only attempted with proper use of protective equipment, such as a harness;
- place the trampoline-jumping surface at ground level;
- ensure that supporting bars, strings and surrounding landing surfaces have adequate protective padding that is in good condition and appropriately placed;
- regularly check equipment for safety conditions and discard worn or damaged equipment if replacement parts are unavailable;
- do not rely on safety net enclosures for injury prevention, as most injuries occur on the trampoline surface; and
- remove trampoline ladders after use to prevent unsupervised access by young children.
“Injuries may be minimized by limiting use of trampoline equipment, providing supervision in sports training programs and following the safety recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statement and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission,” according to a position statement from the AAOS.
References:
http://newsroom.aaos.org/patient-resources/prevent-injuries-america/trampoline-safety.htm