Trampolines, big and small, pose a real risk

Mini-trampolines may seem harmless enough, but they pose the risk of serious injuries.

A new study has found that most injuries on trampolines, whether mini-sized or full-sized, happen at home and that the legs, feet and ankles are the body parts most commonly injured. Further, children younger than 6, who tend to be top-heavy and uncoordinated, are especially likely to sustain head lacerations on a mini-trampoline.

“Trampolines, whether they are mini- or full-size, are not toys,” said Brenda Shields, the study’s author.

Examining reports of trampoline-related injuries included in the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s database, researchers at the Columbus Children’s Research Institute compared a random sample of full-size trampoline injuries with the smaller number of mini-trampoline injuries.

Since there are no available data on the number of trampolines sold or the frequency of their use, the researchers could not determine the risk of injury associated with trampolines. Instead they studied the types and locations of injuries reported and compared the “injury patterns” of each type of trampoline. More than eight in 10 of the people injured were younger than 18, almost a third were younger than 6, and more than 60% of the reported injuries were in girls.

The researchers said people should follow the advice of the American Academy of Pediatrics: Trampolines should only be used under supervision as part of a training program.