SUNDAY, Aug. 17 (HealthDay News) -- The start of a new school year means it's time to remind students and parents about proper selection and use of backpacks.
"When used correctly, backpacks are the most efficient way to carry a load and distribute the weight among some of the body's strongest muscles," Eric Wall, director of the orthopedic surgery division at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, said in a center news release.
However, improper use of backpacks can cause injuries that require medical treatment. For example, backpack-related injuries send almost 6,000 students to emergency departments each year, according to a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission report released in 2002.
Wall and his colleagues in the division of orthopedic surgery offer guidelines to prevent school backpack-related injuries:
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Date last updated: 18 August 2008 |