Orthopedic surgeons are sounding the alarm regarding the latest social media challenge, The Washington Post reported Aug. 24.
The Milk Crate Challenge is a viral trend on TikTok in which participants attempt to scale a pyramid of stacked milk crates. Many videos end with participants falling over on the pile of crates.
Shawn Anthony, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, said colleagues nationwide have seen challenge participants suffer rotator cuff tears, ACL and meniscus tears, broken bones and spinal cord injuries.
"It’s perhaps even worse than falling from a ladder," he told The Washington Post. "It’s very difficult to brace yourself from the falls I’ve seen in these videos. They’re putting their joints at an even higher risk for injury."
George Gantsoudes, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Pediatric Specialists of Virginia in Fairfax, warned in a tweet that elective surgeries may be needed to treat injuries related to the challenge.