A man in his 30s arrived at the Royal London Major Trauma Centre after what sounded like a relatively minor cycling accident. He had been riding a shared ebike when he lost control and fell. By the time I met him, scans had revealed a complex fracture around his ankle where his shinbone (tibia) had pierced through his skin. He would need multiple surgeries to fix his broken bone and grafting of his skin and muscles, followed by many months of rehabilitation and a prolonged period away from work.

Cases like this are becoming increasingly familiar. Colleagues in trauma centres across several countries have described seeing similar injuries after accidents involving shared ebikes. Some people have begun referring to the pattern informally as “Lime bike leg”.

The term is not a medical diagnosis. Rather, it describes severe injuries affecting the leg, ankle and knee following crashes involving shared ebikes. While the name comes from one of the world’s largest shared ebike operators, the injuries are not unique to any particular company. They appear to be associated with the rapid growth of shared ebike use.

Most people think of cycling injuries as cuts, bruises or perhaps a broken wrist. The injuries being described as “Lime bike leg” are often much more........

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