Citation

Mikkelsen RK. Emerg. Med. (Los Angel.) 2014; 4(2): e1000179.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, The author(s), Publisher OMICS Publishing Group)

DOI

10.4172/2165-7548.1000179

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The Segway Personal Transporter is a relatively novel form of transportation gaining popularity across the world. It is used mostly as a means of transportation for sightseeing tours. Little is known about the potential harms and injuries associated with the Segway® personal transporter. We are reporting a case of acetabular fracture in a 73 year old man and a case of medial femoral neck fracture in a 59 year old female, both following a fall from a Segway® transporter. The Segway vehicle is a new form of transportation device released in 2001. Steering and driving the Segway is based on computerized dynamic stabilization technology. According to the provider the transporter is intuitive and easy to operate. It accelerates when the operator leans forward and breaks when leaning backwards. A Pubmed search reveals only two previous reports on series of injuries related to the Segway. Boniface et al. reports a large increase in severe injuries from 2005 to 2008, and as in our cases, many are beginners on sightseeing tours and both report cases of acetabular fractures. In our cases the patients were 73 and 59 years old respectively. For both it was the first time they tried the Segway. Both were given a five minutes introduction prior to a guided tour. The relatively advanced age of our two patients may have influenced their ability to quickly learn to operate a new type of vehicle. The types of the types of injuries described above are serious. For instance the detremental health risks following a hip fracture are well documented. The mortality rate in acetabular fractures is low compared to fractures of the hip, but other serious complications are associated. Following acetabular fractures 17% of patients develop posttraumatic arthritis, and due to immobilisation there is a high risk of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.

CONCLUSIONS

We have observed severe injuries from riding the Segway at only walking or running speed. It is remarkable that both patients were riding the vehicle for the first time, and it raises the question whether a short introduction is sufficient. We recommend more advanced introduction before sightseeing tours and first time use. Special care should be given to introduce beginners of advanced age, since this age group is expected to be more challenged when it comes to strength, balance and reaction time. Further investigation of Segway related injuries could be facilitated by creating a specific register code for hospital admittance after injuries caused by these vehicles.

Language: en