Injuries caused by falls from trees in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Although falls from trees are rare, the consequences can be severe. Over 13 months in 6 hospitals in Tehran 49 (0.57%) of 8500 registered trauma patients had fallen from trees.The mean age was 31 years (range 6 to 74 years) and 21 (42.9%) were aged 20 years. Home and recreational/sports grounds were the most common sites of trauma. Most falls occurred during leisure time; only 3 (6.1%) were occupa- tion-related. Eleven patients (22.4%) sustained a fracture of the spinal column; 2 of them became permanent- ly paraplegic and 2 others who had severe thoracic vertebral fractures and paraplegia on first observation were transferred to other hospitals for treatment. Due to the severity of this type of injury, especially among the young, effective preventive efforts may be necessary.