Californian longboarders may want to take a minute to consider the risks they take while on their boards. Skateboarding and longboarding have long been associated with our state of California, but a recent study in Utah has revealed that longboarders may have a greater risk ofbrain injury than regular skateboarders. The data, from a Utah trauma center, studied 824 people with an average age of 19 who underwent treatment for injuries from both longboarding and skateboarding from 2006 to 2011. More than half of those included in the data, 57.5 percent, were longboarding at the time of their accident.
According to the data, longboarders were at a greater risk for traumatic brain injury, an alarming statistic. Thirty-one percent of the longboarders had a TBI, while only 12 percent of skateboarders did. Additionally, longboarders in the data had higher rates of head fracture and intracranial hemorrhage. In fact, no skateboarders in the data suffered from intracranial hemorrhages. Regardless of the type of board, longboarders and skateboarders must be aware of their risks. Many injuries like these result from collisions with vehicles, which can also be fatal.
One of the study researchers claimed that doctors who treat longboarders ought to be aware of these increased numbers of traumatic brain injuries. Sometimes, the victim does not present immediately with symptoms consistent with TBI, so it is all the more important that doctors be vigilant and patients be aware.
Traumatic brain injuries can have long-lasting effects. For individuals and families who are struggling to cope with TBI or other brain injuries as a result of a car accident or missed diagnosis, there are legal options available to gain compensation and ease the burden.
Source: NBC News, “Longboarders may face higher risk of head injury than skateboarders” Rachael Rettner, Nov. 05, 2013
