Leashed dog walking connected to increased threat of fractures and TBIs

Johns Hopkins University scientists have actually discovered that terrible brain injuries (TBIs) were the 2nd most typical injury amongst grownups dealt with in U.S. emergency clinic for injuries connected to walking a leashed dog from 2001 to 2020. The scientists likewise discovered that ladies, and all grownups age 65 and older, were most likely to sustain major injuries, such as fractures and TBIs, than individuals in other market groups. The research study was released in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

According to a 2021-2022 nationwide family pet ownership study, almost 53%of U.S. homes own a minimum of one dog. Dog ownership likewise increased considerably in recent years throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Although dog walking is a typical day-to-day activity for numerous grownups, couple of research studies have actually identified its injury concern. We saw a requirement for more detailed info about these type of events.”

Ridge Maxson, research study’s very first author and third-year medical trainee at The Johns Hopkins University

The scientists were from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Using the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database, which is run by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the scientists discovered that an approximated 422,659 grownups looked for treatment in U.S. emergency clinic for injuries arising from leash-dependent dog walking from 2001 to 2020.

The 3 most typical injuries amongst all grownups were, in order, finger fracture, TBI, and shoulder sprain or pressure. TBI and hip fracture were the 2 most typical injuries amongst grownups age 65 and older. TBIs determined in this research study included both concussions and nonconcussive internal head injuries, which can consist of brain contusion (a swelling of the brain tissue), epidural hematoma (bleeding in above the brain’s external membrane) or subdural hematoma (bleeding underneath the brain’s external membrane).

Notably, ladies with injuries connected to dog walking were 50% most likely than males to sustain a fracture. Older dog walkers were more than 3 times as most likely to experience a fall, more than two times as most likely to have a fracture and 60% most likely to sustain a TBI than younger dog walkers.

Across the 20-year research study duration, the projected yearly occurrence of injuries due to leash-dependent dog walking more than quadrupled. The scientists presume that this pattern might be because of concurrent increasing dog ownership rates and promo of dog walking to enhance physical fitness.

The group hopes its findings will promote awareness amongst dog owners and motivate clinicians to talk about the injury capacity of leash-dependent dog walking with their clients.

“Clinicians need to know these threats and communicate them to clients, particularly ladies and older grownups,” says Edward McFarland, M.D., the research study’s senior author and director of the Division of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery at Johns Hopkins Medicine. “We motivate clinicians to evaluate for pet ownership, evaluate fracture and fall threat, and talk about safe dog walking practices at routine health care sees for these susceptible groups. Despite our findings, we likewise highly motivate individuals to leash their dogs any place it is lawfully needed.”

The group likewise evaluated cases of leash-dependent dog walking injuries amongst kids under age 18. Those findings will be launched in the future.

Other research study authors are Christopher Leland, B.S.; Jim Lu, B.A.; Prashant Meshram, D.N.B., M.B.B.S., M.S.; and Vanya Jones, Ph.D., M.P.H.

Conflict of interest declaration

Edward McFarland is a specialist for Stryker. All other authors have no disputes of interest, consisting of pertinent monetary interests, activities, relationships and associations, to state.