[Injuries due to inline skating].

In order to elucidate the patterns of injuries associated with in-line skating all patients with a inlineskate injury have been sampled prospectively during summer 1996. 58 patients were included in the study, aged 8 to 54 years (mean 22.2 years). The total number of injuries was 63, that is 1.1 injury in every injured skater. The upper extremity was the region most commonly injured (63.5%), with the distal radius fracture being the most common single fracture (25.4%). The most severe injuries, however, could be found in the lower extremity, including two femoral neck fractures and one pertrochanteric fracture in three patients aged more than 35 years. 22.4% of patients required hospitalization up to 54 days, and 36.2% of injuries had to be treated operatively. The most common single procedure was closed reduction and percutaneous wire fixation of displaced radius fractures. It is concluded that in-line skating imposes a risk of severe injuries especially on first-time skaters aged 35 years and up. The typical skating injury is the fracture of the wrist, a fact pointing out the necessity of the use of appropriate safety gear.