Hot-air ballooning injuries

Attention to basket design, proper education of the passenger, and careful consid eration of terrain and prevailing weather condi tions may help make ballooning a safer sport.

Abstract

The sport of hot-air ballooning is generally safe, but does place its participants in certain unique circumstances which may predispose them to injury. Fractures of the ankle and compression fractures of the lumbar spine are among the most common skeletal injuries that require orthopaedic care. Attention to basket design, proper education of the passenger, and careful consideration of terrain and prevailing weather conditions may help make ballooning a safer sport.