title: Serious impact of handlebar injuries.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Injuries from bicycles is a leading cause of trauma in children. We sought to investigate the epidemiology of bicycle handlebar injuries.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis of bicycle trauma treated at our institution was preformed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 462 children younger than 17 years had bicycle trauma. Abdominal handlebar injuries, representing 9% of bicycle injuries, contributed to 19% of all internal organ injuries, and 45.4% of solid, 87.5% of hollow, 66.6% of vascular or lymphatic, and 100% of pancreatic injuries. Handlebar injuries were 10 times more likely to cause severe injury, yet more than half of the children were misdiagnosed at their initial presentation. Delayed diagnosis and longer hospital stays were observed in handlebar injuries to the abdomen.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Physicians should be aware of the serious impact of bicycle handlebar injury to the abdomen. The mechanism alone should raise the suspicion of internal organ injury, and timely imaging and surgical consultation.
authors.affiliation: University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Stollery Children's Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Hannah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cherniawsky
authors.affiliation: University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Stollery Children's Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada bratu@ualberta.ca.
authors.forename: Ioana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bratu
authors.affiliation: Stollery Children's Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Tara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rankin
authors.affiliation: University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Stollery Children's Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: William Bill
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Sevcik
mesh_terms: D000007:Abdominal Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000416:Alberta / Q000453:epidemiology; D001642:Bicycling / Q000293:injuries*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*
keywords: bicycle injury; handlebar injury; pediatric trauma