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 SEPTEMBER 24, 2003 Preventing In-line Skating Injuries In-line skating is a high-speed, low-impact sport that's great fun, but it can also be a sudden-impact sport if you fall hard. More than 100,000 Americans will suffer in-line skating injuries this year, from scrapes to bruises to broken bones. For safety's sake, you should wear cycling or leather gloves, a lightweight bicycle helmet, knee and elbow pads and stiff plastic wrist guards. Wrist guards, however, may not prevent you from breaking a wrist when you instinctively reach out and fall on an outstretched arm, says orthopedist Frank B. Giacobetti, MD, from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. He simulated the forces on the arm from a fall while in-line skating and found that wrist guards can prevent scrapes and bruises, but not fractures. If you feel you are about to fall, try to fall on your side instead of an outstretched arm, Dr. Giacobetti says. His safety precautions include: wear protective gear to prevent minor injuries; learn the basics, particularly how to stop, before venturing out on the road; obey traffic signals and don't weave in and out of lanes; and avoid skating on crowded sidewalks. |
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