The London Skaters pose a question about wrist guard protection in a recent newsletter. The newsletter links to an article from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons' web archives and warns inline skaters that wrist guards may not provide as much protection as we think, and that we should not rely on them exclusively to protect us from injury.

Don't get excited and leave your protective gear at home. Wrist guards and other protective gear certainly do help protect inline skaters against scrapes and abrasions, and they reduce impact injuries in general. So, please keep using your helmet, wrist guards, elbow pads and knee pads, because they do prevent many injuries and help reduce the severity of others. But, do not count on them as the only solution for safe skating sessions, because serious impact injuries like fractures can still happen - even with wrist guards. Learning the inline skating basics including the correct way to stop, maneuver and fall are just as important for your protection.

More Protective Gear Information • Protective gear is Not Optional Equipment
• Wrist Guards May Not Prevent Fractures
• Risk Factors for Inline Skating Injuries
• Try Rollerblade's In-Line Protective Gear Set
• Get Rollerblade's Advanced In-Line Skate Helmet