title: Motorized dirt bike injuries in children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The number of dirt bike injuries in children in the United States is increasing and poses a public health problem.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of our study was to identify the imaging patterns of dirt bike injuries in children and associations with morbidity and mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 85 children (83 boys, 2 girls) <18 year of age (mean age 12.3 years, standard deviation 3 years) with dirt bike injury treated at a tertiary care pediatric hospital. Imaging studies and hospital medical records were reviewed. Outcomes were classified into the following categories: short-term disability, long-term disability or no follow-up available. Imaging studies were reviewed for head, torso, and extremity injuries. One-tailed z test for two proportions was used to determine significant differences between various proportions. Chi-square test with Yates correction was used to determine the significance of long-term disability with injury type.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Long bone fractures were the most common injuries. Lower extremity fractures accounted for 79% of extremity fractures and were significantly more common than upper extremity fractures (p = 0.001). Head injuries included fractures (n = 9), brain contusion (n = 5), and meningeal hemorrhage (n = 2). Head injury was associated with long-term disability (p < 0.0001). All torso injuries were solitary.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long-term disability was associated with head injuries but not with torso or extremity injuries. Lower extremity injuries were significantly more common than upper extremity injuries. Torso solid organ injuries were uniformly solitary.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.
authors.forename: Raghu H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Ramakrishnaiah
authors.forename: Chetan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Parnell-Beasley
authors.forename: Bruce S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Greenberg
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D001134:Arm Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007869:Leg Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D009049:Motorcycles; D015541:Off-Road Motor Vehicles; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*