AAOS: 2017 to 2023 Saw Surge in E-Bike Injuries in Youth

FRIDAY, March 6, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- E-bike injuries requiring trauma activation dramatically increased among youth from 2017 to 2023, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, held from March 2 to 6 in New Orleans.Aaron Tran, M.D., from Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego, and colleagues quantified the rates and patterns of orthopedic injuries related to e-bike use versus standard pedal bikes in pediatric and adolescent patients. The analysis included all trauma activations associated with micromobility (e-bike, bicycle, and e-bike versus auto; bicycle versus auto) for patients younger than 18 years of age seen at a single, level 1, tertiary referral pediatric hospital (2017 to 2023; 338 pedal bike- or e-bike-related trauma activations).The researchers found that e-bikes were increasingly responsible for trauma activations throughout the study period, increasing from only 1.75 percent in 2017 to 39 percent in 2023. Patients in e-bike accidents were more likely to be older (12.6 versus 10.3 years) and more likely to have more socioeconomic advantage based on area deprivation index scores (1.7 versus 2.8) versus those involved in pedal bike accidents. Compared with pedal bike accidents, patients involved in e-bike accidents were more likely to sustain extremity injuries (odds ratio, 4.2) and sustained a greater number of fractures (0.6 versus 0.2 fractures). However, patients in pedal bike accidents were less likely to be wearing a helmet (odds ratio, 3.0) and more likely to sustain head injuries (odds ratio, 2.4) versus those in e-bike accidents. The groups were similar with respect to length of stay, intensive care unit admissions, and operative treatment requirements. “In a short period of time, we have seen a significant number of micromobility-related trauma activations among children and adolescents, and these types of orthopedic injuries typically require surgery, hospital stays, and rehabilitation," coauthor Rachel Mednick Thompson, M.D., also from Rady Children's Hospital, said in a statement. "Our findings underscore the need for community-wide strategies for injury prevention, regulation, and education on e-bike use."Press ReleaseMore Information.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

AAOS: 2017 to 2023 Saw Surge in E-Bike Injuries in Youth

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