Playground injuries are common among young and pre-teen children, and backyard trampolines often contribute to summertime trips to the emergency department.  Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital and Campbell Clinic Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon Derek Kelly, M.D., gives his thoughts about avoiding one of those unwelcome summertime trips to the hospital.

Kelly says the most common trampoline injuries occur in small children when a larger child or adult falls on them.  Children are also commonly injured falling off the side of the trampoline onto the ground.

The commonly injured bones Kelly and his colleagues see as the result of a trampoline injury are the wrist (distal radius), elbow (distal humerus) and knee (proximal tibia).  Most injuries are treated in casts, but some require surgery.

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), hospital emergency rooms and doctors’ offices treat hundreds of thousands of trampoline-related injuries each year. The most common injuries are sprains and fractures which result from falls on the trampoline mat, falls on the frame or springs, collisions with another jumper, stunts gone wrong, and falls off the trampoline.

Severe injuries are not common, but they do occur and can result in paralysis or, rarely, death. The majority of trampoline injuries occur at home. Most injuries occur among children between ages 5 and 14, and when children are unsupervised by parents or adults. More than half of the injuries occur on the mat of the trampoline and nearly two thirds of injuries involve two or more children using the trampoline at the same time.

As a parent, it might be difficult to listen to your child's begging, but the best response to a request for a home trampoline — whether it's a full-sized backyard trampoline or a smaller indoor trampoline — is no.  Safe Kids Mid-South, led by Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, supports these American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations regarding trampoline use.  If you choose to buy a trampoline despite the risks, follow these safety rules:

• Use safety nets and pads. Install a trampoline enclosure — a special net designed to surround the trampoline — and cover the trampoline's springs, hooks and frame with shock-absorbing pads.Regularly check the equipment for tears and detachments.
• Place the trampoline on level ground. Make sure it's a safe distance from trees and other structures. Better yet, place the trampoline in a pit so the jumping surface is at ground level.
• Limit trampoline activity. Allow only one person to use the trampoline at a time — and never without supervision. Don't allow somersaults or other potentially risky moves on the trampoline.
• Discourage unsupervised jumping. Don't install a trampoline ladder, which could tempt young children to use the trampoline alone.

In addition, be aware that you might be charged a higher premium for homeowners insurance if you choose to buy a trampoline. Consider checking with your insurance provider about liability coverage as well.

Most trampoline injuries are muscle injuries or broken legs, not fatalities, but serious head and neck injuries do occur. A concussion or upper spine injury can be devastating to a child.

In 2004, approximately 93,000 children ages 14 and younger were treated in U.S. emergency departments for trampoline-related injuries.  More than 90 percent of these injuries happened on home trampolines, and Safe Kids Mid-South joins the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in recommending that no child under 6 years old should use a full-size trampoline.  Safe Kids supports these recommendations:

• Make sure there is only one person on the trampoline at a time.
• The frame, springs and floor around the trampoline ar appropriately padded and the equipment is inspected frequently.
• Trained spotters are always used and a safety harness or spotting belt is available.
• There is no ladder near the trampoline where it could be used by unsupervised children to gain access.  The trampoline should not be accessible when not is use and there is no active adult supervision. 
• Jumpers do not attempt stunts or skills beyond ther training and capability.