Did you see the article in the August issue of Parents magazine about all-terrain vehicle accidents? The research was done by Le Bonheur orthopedic surgeon Jeff Sawyer, M.D.

Sawyer reviewed 10 years of ATV accidents involving children across the country. His research shows that ATV-related injuries, including those in the spine, are increasing at an alarming rate.

From 1997 to 2006, the number of children injured in an ATV-related accident increased 240 percent. The number of spinal injuries children suffered from those accidents increased 467 percent.

“The biggest misconception is that these are toys rather than motor vehicles. We hope to use this data to further educational and legislative efforts to prevent ATV-related injuries in children,” Sawyer said.

In his research, Sawyer found 70 percent of children who incurred a spine injury in an ATV-related accident were younger than 16, the minimum age recommended by the American Academies of Pediatrics and Orthopaedics – and the median age for children who incurred this injury was 12.9 years old.

Most patients were boys (76 percent) and white (85 percent). Sawyer found that while boys tend to be injured more often, older-aged girls are at higher risk for spine injuries when they have an accident.

So what does this mean for parents? Le Bonheur and Safe Kids Mid-South recommend:

• Only those 16 or older, who are licensed to operate motor vehicles, should operate an ATV
• Taking a hands-on safety training course and following the instruction manual.
• Wearing protective gear – especially a helmet – when riding ATVs
• Not operating an ATV with a passenger or riding as a passenger
• Using ATVs only on paved roads.
• Not operating an ATV under the influence of alcohol or drugs

Sawyer’s study was published in the July 2010 edition of Orthopedics Today. He is an assistant professor of orthopedics at the University of Tennessee-Campbell Clinic in Memphis and the American Academy of Orthopaedics spokesperson on ATV safety.