SegwayA® related injuries in Vienna: report from the Lorenz Bohler Trauma Centre

The Segway (A (R)) vehicle facilitates a new way of eco-friendly mobility and is currently used all over the world. In the last years, the use of the Segway (A (R)) transporters for sightseeing tours in Vienna has increased distinctly, resulting in a growing number of Segway (A (R)) related injuries and subsequent admissions of these patients to the Lorenz Bohler Trauma Centre in Vienna, Austria. A retrospective analysis of clinical records in the electronic data system of the LBTC in Vienna, Austria, was performed to identify Segway (A (R)) transporter related injuries between January 2010 and December 2012. Eighty-six patients represented the study cohort. The median age was 38 years (range 14-80 years) with a majority of male patients. Most common injuries were contusions (24, 6 %, n = 44) and fractures (23, 5 %, n = 42). The most frequent injury was a fracture of the radial head in 15, 1 % of all patients. 13 (15, 1 %) of 86 patients required admission and seven (8, 1 %) of these 13 patients had surgical treatment. This case series presents severe injuries related to the use of a Segway (A (R)) transporter. As a consequence, it has to be ensured that public tour operators need to provide sufficient safety instructions and equipment for people who are unfamiliar with riding a Segway (A (R)) .