Spinal cord injury associated with all-terrain vehicle accidents.

Five instances of three-wheeler, all-terrain vehicle accidents resulting in spinal cord injury are presented. Age range of victims was from 7 to 18 years. Of the five cases of spinal cord injury, three resulted in quadriplegia and two in paraplegia. Reports of all-terrain vehicle accidents in childhood from the US Consumer Product Safety Committee are also reviewed. Concerns are raised about the need for further data gathering about instances and types of injuries from these types of vehicles and the safety of use in all ages of children for these heavy, potentially high-speed vehicles.