The number of trips to the emergency room for trampoline injuries increased from 581 in 2010 to 6,932 in 2014 — a nearly 12-fold jump, according to a study published in Pediatrics.
Every year, an average of 92,000 people were injured on trampolines. The majority occurred in backyard trampolines, but injuries at trampoline parks surged — and sprains were 61% more common.
The number of indoor trampoline parks grew from 25 in 2010 to over 350 in 2014, with five or six new ones opening every month.
Sprains and bone fractures were the most common injuries. There were also a large number of head injuries, dislocations, leg injuries, open fractures, and spinal cord injuries.
Dr. Kathryn Kasmire, a researcher at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford, said:
I don’t think trampoline park injuries are increasing because they are especially dangerous compared to home trampolines, but rather because of their growing popularity and the increasing number/availability of these facilities.”
Some say trampoline parks are inherently more dangerous because children can jump all over the park and run into other children. Injuries are also significantly more likely to occur when more than one person is using a trampoline at the same time.
Source: Scientific American