Characterization of Spinal and Paraspinal Injuries from Roller Coaster Rides among Minors

Introduction: Rollercoaster rides subject the rider to multiple forces and high acceleration levels. These forces have been shown to not be capable of causing significant spine injury. However, injuries may still occur, and their features in children have yet to be characterized.

Methods: The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) was queried for US emergency department visits from 2004 to 2023 for spinal and paraspinal injuries among children, sustained on rollercoasters. Body part codes were collected to only include injuries sustained in the lower trunk, upper trunk, and neck/cervical spine. Narratives were then screened to only include spinal/paraspinal injuries and identify diagnoses. Injuries identified were strain, sprain, compression fracture, torticollis, and unspecified back pain. A weighted survey design was used to calculate national estimates and confidence intervals.

Results: A total of 160 relevant queries resulted in a national estimate of 4251 emergency department visits of children with injuries to the spine and paraspinal regions from rollercoasters between 2004 and 2023. The mean age at the time of injury was 12.1 years. Females were most commonly injured (63.6, 95%CI 54.2-72.4). Injuries in the neck/cervical spine (66.8%, 95%CI 54.7-77.7) accounted for most of the cases. Muscular strain was the most prevalent diagnosis accounting for 70.7% of estimated cases. Diagnoses like torticollis (125 estimated cases) and compression fracture (14 estimated cases) were noted, but to a lesser extent than other injuries. There were no significant associations between age and odds of presenting with one injury over others (all p>0.05).

Conclusion : Roller coaster rides were shown to have a low incidence of spine injuries in minors with muscular strain in the neck as the predominant injury. However, the incidence of more serious injuries suggests the need for further investigation.