Rolling sneakers breaking bones

Been to the store and had the thrill of seeing a child bearing down on you rolling on "heelys"? If not, go to your nearest mall or big box store and stand in one of the main aisles for a few minutes. Some care-free young boy will soon come down the aisle straight at you. If all goes well he will turn or stop at the last second and spare you from a collision.

One of the hottest trendy items in shoe wear for young people over the past year has been "Heely" shoes , a sporty tennis shoe with a wheel embedded in the bottom. When the wearer decided to take off down the aisle all they need to do is take off running, tilt back on the rear of the shoe and roll right on down the aisle.

According to a Health & Science news report, doctors from Ireland to Singapore have reported treating broken wrists, arms and ankles, dislocated elbows and even cracked skulls in children injured while wearing roller shoes. Doctors in Singapore reported that 37 children had been treated for similar injuries at a hospital there during seven months in 2004. None wore protective gear.

Injuries have become so common that The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, based in Rosemont, Ill., is "issuing new safety advice that recommends helmets, wrist protectors and knee and elbow pads for kids who wear wheeled shoes" according to the report.

"As these shoes are sold in department stores, parents buying them may develop a false sense of security -- that they are like any other shoe," said Dr. James Beaty, academy president and a pediatric orthopedic surgeon in Memphis.

When store security staff members are asked what they are doing to stop wreckless skating in stores, many simply they shrug and say parents become hostile when asked to stop children from skating in stores and they can't do anything. It's a difficult issue to address because store managers are faced with making customers mad if they ask them to control children or if they post signs banning the activity.

Original article...

News and Observer
June 4, 2007
Lindsey Tanner, The Associated Press

Rolling sneakers cited in injuries
"Heeling" leads to fractures, doctors say

CHICAGO - Trendy wheeled sneakers that let kids zip down sidewalks, across playgrounds and through mall crowds also could send them rolling into emergency rooms on a stretcher, doctors say. They blame a rash of injuries on the international craze.

It's called "heeling," named after Heelys, the most popular brand. They're sold in 70 countries and are so hot that their Carrollton, Texas, maker, Heelys Inc., recently landed atop BusinessWeek's annual list of fastest growing companies.

But doctors from Ireland to Singapore have reported treating broken wrists, arms and ankles, dislocated elbows and even cracked skulls in children injured while wearing roller shoes.

Over a 10-week period last summer, 67 children were treated for injuries from Heelys or strap-on wheels called Street Gliders at Temple Street Children's University Hospital in Dublin, Ireland, according to a report in the June edition of Pediatrics.

From September 2005 through December 2006, one death and at least 64 roller-shoe injuries were reported to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, a spokesman said.

And doctors in Singapore reported last year that 37 children had been treated for similar injuries at a hospital there during seven months in 2004. None wore protective gear.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, based in Rosemont, Ill., is issuing new safety advice this week that recommends helmets, wrist protectors and knee and elbow pads for kids who wear wheeled shoes.

"As these shoes are sold in department stores, parents buying them may develop a false sense of security -- that they are like any other shoe," said Dr. James Beaty, academy president and a pediatric orthopedic surgeon in Memphis.

Heelys and their knockoffs look like gym shoes, but they have a wheel socket in each heel. They can be used for walking, but the wheels pop out when users shift their weight to their heels.

Balancing on the wheels can be tricky, especially for novices. In the Irish study, most injuries affected new users and occurred when kids fell backward while trying to transfer their body weight.

Nine-year-old Noah Woelfel of Davidsonville, Md., wasn't a novice but still tripped and fell, breaking several fingers and wrist bones in his right hand last year.

"All it took was a tiny piece of gravel in the driveway that went up in the wheel and stopped him cold," said his mother, Nancy. "He required surgery and pins, and he was six weeks without using his hand, right at the beginning of school."

Heelys said in April that a study it commissioned shows the shoes have a lower injury rate than skateboarding, inline skating or even swimming. Original article...

The shoes are sold with safety information including a recommendation to wear protective gear. The company says it has shipped more than 10 million pairs since their 2000 introduction.

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