Trampolines are 'very, very dangerous,' says Calgary doctor

Trampolines are fun, but they're also risky. In fact, overzealous bouncing sendshundreds of Canadians to the emergency room every year.

"They're a lot of fun and they're very, very dangerous," saidDr. Raj Bhardwaj, who has treated three people with trampoline injuries in the last week.

One of them willrequireorthopedic surgery andanother had abadly broken ankle. Then there was the teenager who did a flip, and whacked his neck on the metal frame.

"If he hadfallen a bit differently, I would not have been surprised if he had been paralyzed," he said.

Type of injuries

Bhardwaj says most breaks andbruisesdon't actually happen when you fall offatrampoline, but whileyou're on still on the central mat.

"You're just bouncing funny and you land funny," he said

Bhardwaj says both Canadian and American pediatric, as well assports doctors, have come out with position statements on the dangers of trampolines.

• Trampolines at home and playgrounds
• American Academy of Pedriatricsadvises against recreational trampoline use

While most of the data is already a few years old, it all points to similar trends.

Fractures are the leading injury, followed bybruises and abrasions and thenand sprains or strains.

Thelatest report on trampoline injurieslooked atchildren, ages zero to 17, who visited the BC Children's HospitalbetweenJanuary 2012 andDecember 2013.

It found the ankle, elbowand head injuriesweremost often treated.

Trampoline parks also risky

Injuries don't just happen in your backyard, says Bhardwaj.

He says indoortrampoline parks a popular venue for children'sbirthday parties also pose arisk.

"Those are basically just a network of trampolines in a grid and inbetween those, though, are the non-bouncymetal parts that are padded, but they're not bouncy. So if you land funny on thoseyou end up not bouncing, and you end up hurting yourself quite badly."

How to stay safe

Withthe rise of childhood obesity, some parents may see the trampoline as a fun way to get their kid more active.

If you choose to take that risk, Bhardwaj has this advice:

• One person on the trampoline at a time. No exceptions.
• No kids under six. Bhardwaj says it's too high a risk for them.
• No flips or somersaults as those tricks can greatly increase both the risk and severity of injury.