Abstract / Summary
Abstract Introduction The use of electric scooters has expanded rapidly worldwide, posing new challenges for healthcare systems. While injury patterns have been described in high-income countries, there are no published data from Latin America. This study aims to characterize the frequency, clinical presentation, and orthopedic management of electric scooter–related musculoskeletal injuries assessed by the orthopedic service of a single university hospital in Bogotá, Colombia. Methods We conducted a retrospective observational study of 190 adult patients (≥ 18 years) treated for musculoskeletal injuries related to electric scooter accidents at a university hospital in Bogotá, Colombia between January 2022 and December 2023. Data extracted from electronic health records included demographics, injury mechanism, diagnosis, treatment type, and hospital outcomes. Only patients assessed by the orthopedic service were included; e-scooter–related injuries managed exclusively by other specialties were not captured. Results Case volume rose from 76 cases in 2022 to 114 in 2023, a 50% increase, and negative binomial regression confirmed a rising trend in monthly case counts (IRR per month 1.04; 95% CI 1.01–1.07; p = 0.019). Median age was 35 years, and 68% were male. Falls from the scooter accounted for 82% of injuries. Fractures occurred in 82 patients (43.2%), who sustained 100 fractures in total; the upper limb accounted for 78.0% of fractures, most commonly the radius (33.0%), the hand (17.0%) and the humerus (11.0%). Sprains were observed in 54 patients (28.4%), mainly affecting the wrist and ankle, while dislocations (15 patients, 7.9%) involved the acromioclavicular joint and shoulder. Surgical treatment was required in 17% of patients, most frequently open reduction and internal fixation. Conclusions This is the first Latin American series reporting clinical data on electric scooter–related musculoskeletal injuries. Within a single academic centre the number of patients presenting with e-scooter–related musculoskeletal injury rose significantly over the two study years; fractures were frequent and predominantly involved the upper limb, and a relevant minority of patients required surgery. Because the series includes only patients assessed by the orthopedic service at one hospital, these findings describe an institutional experience rather than the citywide burden, and should be read as generating hypotheses for surveillance and prevention rather than as establishing the effectiveness or priority of specific regulatory measures.