title: Foot injuries associated with all-terrain vehicle use in children and adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Children can suffer serious foot injuries while riding or driving an all-terrain vehicle (ATV). The purpose of this study was to describe this injury pattern.
  
  
  METHODS
  A search of the trauma registry of the Arkansas Children's Hospital for the years 1998 through 2006 was conducted to find cases of children admitted for treatment of foot injuries related to ATV use. The cases were deidentified and summarized. The study was reviewed and deemed to be exempt by the local institutional review board.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten cases of foot injury were identified. The median age was 3 years. Eight had forefoot injuries, including 6 who had amputation of the great toe. All but one patient had multiple open foot fractures. Seven required skin grafting. Complications included infection, scar formation, disfigurement, and gait disturbance. The mean length of stay on initial hospitalization was 6 days, and the mean hospital charge was $12,890.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children, particularly young children, on an ATV can suffer serious foot injuries resulting in disfigurement and disability. The recommendation that young children not ride on ATVs is emphasized by these findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine, Little Rock, AR, USA.
authors.forename: Tonya M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Latch
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Parnell
authors.forename: Rhonda
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dick
authors.forename: Mary E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Aitken
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Graham
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001131:Arkansas / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D018409:Foot Injuries / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D015541:Off-Road Motor Vehicles; D012042:Registries