Rising E-Bike Use Sparks Warning Over Severe “Lime Bike Leg” Injuries
The rapid growth of shared e-bike use in cities worldwide has prompted trauma surgeons to warn about a distinct and serious pattern of lower-limb injuries known informally as “Lime bike leg.” These injuries affect the leg, ankle, and knee and often involve severe trauma requiring extensive surgery, unlike the minor scrapes and simple fractures more commonly seen in traditional cycling accidents.
The danger was highlighted at the Royal London Major Trauma Centre, where a man in his 30s was admitted after what appeared to be a minor fall from a shared e-bike. Scans later revealed a complex fracture in which his shinbone (tibia) had pierced through the skin. Treatment required multiple surgeries to stabilize the bone, skin and muscle grafts, and months of rehabilitation.
While “Lime” is the name of a popular e-bike operator, experts say that these injuries are not linked to any one operator but to the widespread growth of public e-bike programs. Emergency departments are seeing increasing numbers of complex orthopedic injuries as e-bikes become a common form of urban transportation.
E-bikes often weigh more than 30 kilograms and accelerate faster than conventional bicycles. When riders lose control, the bike’s weight can trap a leg against the pavement, creating twisting and crushing forces similar to motorcycle crashes.
In London, shared e-bike riders now account for about 20% of serious cycling casualties, up from less than 1% a decade ago. A U.S. study of nearly 14,000 micromobility incidents found e-bike injuries doubled in two years.
Around 15% of injured riders required admission to hospital, while fractures were the most common injury sustained. About one-third of ebike injuries involved a collision with a motor vehicle.
Serious injuries are most often linked to rider inexperience, excessive speed, wet or uneven surfaces, and alcohol use.
Minor soft-tissue injuries, involving ligaments and muscles, can often be managed with rest and physiotherapy. Fractures are a different matter, often requiring surgery using metal plates, screws, or rods to stabilize the broken bones and grafts to replace the damaged skin and muscle.
Recovery is rarely quick. Patients may spend weeks walking with crutches and many months, often years, rebuilding strength and confidence. Some continue to experience pain, stiffness, or reduced mobility long after the fracture has healed.
Health experts encourage safety education, urging new riders to be cautious, avoid phone distractions, and adjust speed for conditions.
