Imaging features of electric scooter trauma: what an emergency radiologist needs to know

Abstract

Electric scooters have become very popular over the past five years. However, their growing popularity and their easy availability are strongly related to an increasing number of injuries. These accidents are more common among young people and typically occurred during the night. The great majority of patients admitted to an emergency department receive at least one imaging examination, which commonly is an X-ray or a computed tomography scan. In electric scooter trauma, the head, maxillofacial region, and upper and lower extremities are more vulnerable than the thoracoabdominal region and spine. Among fractures, the nasal bone, radius and tibia are most involved. Intracranial injuries are rare but are an important cause of disability and possible death. Although most patients with electric scooter trauma are discharged home, these accidents often require outpatient follow-up and sometimes hospitalization. Due to the growing number of this type of trauma, it is important for an emergency radiologist to know the pattern of injuries.

Keywords: Electric scooter; Emergency radiology; Injury pattern; Trauma.