Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42323681›Full record

ArticlePatient safety in surgery2026

Increased injury severity and age-related mortality in trauma victims after e-bike versus conventional bicycle accidents: a concerning call to action!

Deniz D Özman, Sabine M I Roth, Maria Gabriella Fois, Luca Diehr, Michel P J Teuben, Huanglin Zhang, Max Praster, Till Berk, Frank Hildebrand, Rald V M Groven

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Patient safety in surgery, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Deniz D ÖzmanDepartment of Orthopaedic, Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Pauwelsstreet 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
Sabine M I RothDepartment of Orthopaedic, Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Pauwelsstreet 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
Maria Gabriella FoisDepartment of Orthopaedic, Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Pauwelsstreet 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
Luca DiehrDepartment of Orthopaedic, Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Pauwelsstreet 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
Michel P J TeubenDepartment of Traumatology, University Hospital Zurich, Raemistreet 100, Zurich, 8091, Switzerland.
Huanglin ZhangDepartment of Orthopaedic, Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Pauwelsstreet 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
Max PrasterDepartment of Orthopaedic, Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Pauwelsstreet 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
Till BerkDepartment of Orthopaedic, Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Pauwelsstreet 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
Frank HildebrandDepartment of Orthopaedic, Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Pauwelsstreet 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
Rald V M GrovenDepartment of Orthopaedic, Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Pauwelsstreet 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany. rgroven@ukaachen.de.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8733-289X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAlthough e-bike accidents are of growing clinical relevance, there is limited large-scale research comparing injury patterns and outcomes between e-bike (EB) and conventional bicycle (CB) accidents in large patient cohorts. This study performed comparative analyses of both groups to identify patients at risk and guide future prevention and clinical management strategies.

methodsA retrospective analysis of the TraumaRegister DGU

resultsA total of 9,170 bicycle accident cases were included (EB n = 1,160; CB n = 8,010). EB riders were significantly older than CB riders (median age 63 years; IQR 53-73 vs. 57 years IQR 44-69; p < 0.001) and more frequently sustained polytrauma (16.7% vs. 12.3%; p < 0.001). Compared with CB riders, EB riders more often suffered injuries to the head (67.2% vs. 56.2%; p < 0.01), face (22.7% vs. 17.8%; p < 0.001), and chest (55.2% vs. 51.8%; p = 0.030), and were more likely to sustain injuries affecting multiple body regions (p < 0.001). Primary ICU treatment was required more frequently after EB accidents (70.3% vs. 63.5%; p < 0.001). Age-stratified analyses showed that younger EB riders were more frequently involved in nighttime and alcohol-related accidents, whereas mortality increased significantly with age, from 2.7% in patients aged 16-59 years to 18.6% in those aged ≥ 80 years.

conclusionsE-bike accidents are associated with a higher prevalence of head, face, and chest injuries, increased rates of polytrauma and multi-region injuries, and a greater need for ICU treatment compared with conventional bicycle accidents. These differences are particularly relevant in older riders, who represent the majority of severely injured e-bike users and experience substantially higher mortality rates. Targeted prevention strategies, improved protective measures, and age-specific risk communication may help reduce the burden of e-bike-related injuries.

Indexed as

Age-adjusted injury patternsAlcohol-related cycling accidentse-Bike accidentsGeriatric traumaPolytrauma

Identifiers

PMID42323681
PMCPMC13288559

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.