# Orthopedic Injuries Associated With Electric Scooter (E-scooter) Use: Epidemiology, Injury Patterns, Management Strategies, and Prevention

## TL;DR

Electric scooters are causing a rise in orthopedic injuries, especially among young adults, requiring significant medical resources and highlighting the need for prevention strategies.

## Contribution

This review synthesizes current evidence on e-scooter-related orthopedic injuries, emphasizing management strategies and prevention.

## Key findings

- E-scooter injuries frequently involve upper limb fractures and require complex surgical reconstructions.
- Injury patterns resemble high-energy trauma, with significant resource demands for treatment and rehabilitation.
- Prevention strategies like helmet use and infrastructure improvements are critical to reducing injury rates.

## Abstract

Electric scooters have rapidly become a popular form of micromobility worldwide, offering convenience and affordability. However, their increasing use has been paralleled by a notable rise in emergency presentations, with orthopedic trauma representing a substantial proportion. Injuries often involve young adults, typically following falls, and are characterized by a high incidence of fractures, particularly of the upper limb. Importantly, a significant number of cases require operative management, including complex reconstructions for open or periarticular injuries. The injury spectrum extends beyond simple fractures, with reports of severe lower limb, pelvic, and axial injuries, some resembling those sustained in high-energy trauma. These presentations impose considerable resource demands, reflected in operating theater use, inpatient admissions, and rehabilitation needs. Despite this burden, long-term functional outcome data remain limited, underscoring the need for prospective registries. Management strategies largely align with established trauma principles, but clinicians must maintain a high index of suspicion for multisystem involvement and anticipate challenging reconstructions. Prevention efforts are crucial, with helmet use, speed regulation, intoxication policies, and infrastructure improvements emerging as key modifiable factors. This review synthesizes current evidence on the epidemiology, injury patterns, management, and prevention of e-scooter-related orthopedic trauma.