Gymnastics And Associated Equipment
Twenty years of CPSC NEISS emergency-room records for this consumer product category, combined with demographic breakdowns, multi-year injury trends, and matching recall notices.
Sports & Recreation Equipment · CPSC Code 1272
Down 25% over 5 years
The verdict
Gymnastics And Associated Equipment carry a danger score of 38/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 30,501 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 25% over the last five years.
- 38/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 30,501
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 3.0%
- end in hospital admission
- 5-14
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 1272 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 38/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for gymnastics and associated equipment - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume30,501 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)3.0%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend-25%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Gymnastics And Associated Equipment (CPSC product code 1272, in the Sports & Recreation Equipment category) generate an estimated 30,501 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 610,029 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 38/100 for this category (low risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are declining by about 25% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2017 (37,478 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2020 (17,689 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for gymnastics and associated equipment is strain, sprain to the ankle, accounting for approximately 58,811 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by fracture to the lower arm (41,857 cases). The 5-14 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 449,398 cases over the NEISS window, and females appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 3.0% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 7 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how gymnastics and associated equipment fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2024-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.
Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)
Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 8,160 | 14,975 | |
| 5-14 | 57,323 | 392,059 | |
| 15-24 | 26,125 | 83,904 | |
| 25-34 | 6,289 | 9,416 | |
| 35-44 | 2,024 | 4,707 | |
| 45-54 | 781 | 2,241 | |
| 55-64 | 530 | 591 | |
| 65-74 | 110 | 336 | |
| 75+ | 160 | 253 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Ankle | Strain, Sprain | |
| Lower Arm | Fracture | |
| Wrist | Strain, Sprain | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Neck | Strain, Sprain | |
| Knee | Strain, Sprain | |
| Wrist | Fracture | |
| Elbow | Fracture | |
| Foot | Strain, Sprain | |
| Finger | Fracture | |
| Elbow | Strain, Sprain | |
| Head | Concussion | |
| Finger | Strain, Sprain | |
| Foot | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Shoulder | Strain, Sprain |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
10 YOF INJURED NECK DOING GYMNASTICS AT HOME DX: CONTUSION NECK
7YOF COMPLAINS OF BACK PAIN AFTER DOING A BACK HANDSPRING AT GYMNASTICS. SHE FELT A POP IN HER BACK. DX: BACK PAIN, LOW BACK STRAIN
7YOF CHILD WAS PLAYING ON HER GYMNASTIC BARS AT HOME WHEN SHE FELL AND HIT HER TEETH AGAINST HER KNEE, ELOPED DX: DENTAL TRAUMA
10YOF WITH FALL OFF UNEVEN BAR IN GYMNASTICS DX: NECK PAIN
32YOM PT FELL ONTO OUTSTRETCHED HAND WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PERFORM A BACK FLIP @ JAIL DX: FALL, FRACTURE RT WRIST
12YOF WITH SHOULDE RINJURY AFTER DOING A BACK FLIP. DX: ACUTE PAIN OF RIGHT SHOULDER
22YOF PRESENTS WITH RIGHT ANKLE PAIN AND SWELLING AFTER ROLLING HER ANKLE WHILE DOING A BACKFLIP; NO OTHER DETAILS STATED DX: NOT STATED
11YOF WAS ATTEMPTING TO DO A HANDSPRING AND TWISTED RIGHT RING FINGER DX: STRAINED FINGER
11YOF C/O FOREARM PAIN S/P PT WAS DOING A BACK HAND SPRING AT GYMNASTICS AND SHE FELT HER ELBOW LOCK WHEN SHE FLIPPED OVER CREATING AN ONSET OF PAIN IN HER RIGHT FOREARM. DX: FOREARM PAIN
10YOF WAS PLAYING AROUND WITH FRIENDS AND ATTEMPTED TO DO A BACK HANDSPRING AND LANDING AWKWARDLY ONTO LEFT HAND DX: STRAINED HAND
4 YOF PRESENTS WITH UPPER ARM FRACTURE S/P FELL AGAINST A GYMNASTICS BEAM. DX: UPPER ARM FRACTURE
10YOF- PT WAS IN GYMNASTICS PT WAS ON BLANCE BEAM WHEN SHE STEPPED & FELL PT DID NOT REMEMBER FALL DID NOT HIT HER HEAD. PAINT TO LEFT LOWER LEG. DX: LEFT TIB/FIB FRACTURE.
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
daughter slipped, fell, and broke her wrist with the top portion of this particular toy
Free gymnastics bar in Excellent condition with all parts and manual purchased last year. My daughter had an accident with the gymnastics bar purchased at amazon. The base part that hold the top bar on the sides are sharp and protected by a guard that we realize they come off easily if they are bumped and "they can cut". She fell and cut her face after bumping the guard. She got glue stitches on her face and currently seeing a plastic surgeon. This was back in March
A 2 year-old boy crawled underneath a raised Tumbl Trak during an Open Gym at a local Gymnastics center, and his head was struck repeatedly as other children and an instructor jumped on the raised equipment. The child may have suffered a traumatic brain injury and is under medical care and observation.
My daughter age 8 was in a structured paid for tumble class and did a supervised tumble move into the foam pit. Her GK brand leotard gave her a wedgie and cut her similar to that of a woman he receives and episiotomy for child birth. She was seen in the doctors office and given 3 [REDACTED] stiches. She has been home from school all week. Very uncomfortable. Needs assistance using the bathroom and has to sit on pillows.
6 year old daughter, getting hands cut/ripped by Saflyfun Pro Kids Gymnastics Bar Adjustable Height. Finish has sharp imperfect (Burrs on bar) and a seam that cause hands to be rubbed hard where bar has the seam.
My daughter tested positive for lead and I tested her gymnastics mat which has tested positive for lead
On December 7, 2011, the Pro Fit Iron Gym fell on my head (it was attached to the door frame above my head). As it fell on top of my head, one of the bolts lodged in my skull, causing a dent and bleeding. I suffered a concussion and went to the emergency room for treatment. I was given a tetanus shot and was told it may take a while to fully recover. To date, I still suffer from periodic head aches, lower back pain, ear aches, and slight apathy. I lost two days of work because of this (December 8th and 9th) and the cost of emergency room treatment. This product is dangerous and should (1) be removed from the market (recalled), (2) redesigned and tested for safety, (3) warning stickers placed on the product on proper securing and placement, (4) and safety devices or attachments provided for secure placement on door. This product does not contain any such warnings now and is advertised on their website in the following way: "Total upper body workout bar. Attaches & Removes from Door Frame in Seconds! No Drilling! No Tools! No Fasteners! Heavy Duty Steal Construction." The website address is www.getirongym.com and the manufacturer identified on the website under customer service is Ontel Products Corporation, 21 Law Dr., 1st Floor, Fairfield, NJ, 07004. The phone number listed is: 973-439-9035.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to gymnastics and associated equipment on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are gymnastics and associated equipment?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, gymnastics and associated equipment have a danger score of 38/100 (low risk). An estimated 30,501 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from gymnastics and associated equipment?
The most common injury is strain, sprain to the ankle, accounting for approximately 58,811 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from gymnastics and associated equipment increasing or decreasing?
Down 25% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for gymnastics and associated equipment injuries?
The 5-14 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 449,398 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by gymnastics and associated equipment?
Of all ER visits involving gymnastics and associated equipment, approximately 3.0% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (97.0%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with gymnastics and associated equipment?
You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.
Related Products in Sports & Recreation Equipment
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 38/100 score as relative risk between products, not your personal odds of injury.
- See where this category ranks against every other tracked product. Full rankings
- Injuries cluster in the 5-14 age group, take extra care if that describes your household.
- Check for active recalls on this product before you assume it is safe. CPSC recalls
NEISS estimates ER-treated injuries from a national probability sample of hospitals; they do not capture injuries treated elsewhere or not treated at all.
Data: CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments. This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, scored, and verified.
