Social media trends and orthopaedic trauma: distal radius fracture from the 'Superman Challenge'

Abstract

Viral social-media challenges increasingly influence behaviour among children and adolescents, with some trends posing substantial injury risk. The TikTok “Superman Challenge”, in which participants leap and adopt a mid-air superhero pose before landing, has been associated with preventable trauma. We report an 11-year-old girl who sustained a Salter-Harris II distal radius fracture while attempting the challenge during a school activity. She fell onto an outstretched hand after being pushed mid-jump, presenting with wrist deformity and swelling but intact neurovascular status. Two closed-reduction attempts under Entonox and intranasal analgesia failed, necessitating manipulation under anaesthesia and stabilisation with a single K-wire. Postoperative imaging confirmed satisfactory alignment and recovery was uneventful. This case highlights how online trends can manifest as orthopaedic injuries in paediatric populations and underscores the need for targeted education of children, parents and schools, alongside more effective social-media content moderation to reduce avoidable harm.