MD Podiatrist Tells Explains Milk Crate Challenge Is So Dangerous

The #MilkCrateChallenge begins with collecting an almost incomprehensible number of empty plastic milk crates, stacking them to form a makeshift staircase, and then attempting to climb said creation. It’s not clear how or why this TikTok trend began, although it seems to have reached a fever pitch over the course of last weekend. Board certified podiatrist and foot surgeon Dan Michaels, DPM has not yet personally witnessed any milk crate challenge-related injuries. But he’s already heard about plenty.
 
 
“The most common injuries we anticipate are broken arms and wrists/fingers, shoulder injuries/disclocations, back and spinal injuries, head trauma, and lower extremity injuries (hip, leg, knee, ankle, and foot),” he states. As dangerous and even life-threatening as some of those injuries can be, especially if they involve head trauma, they present an additional problem in the context of a pandemic. “With many hospitals … filling up their ICU beds, some …  may not have room for trauma patients, be it head trauma or fractured legs or spinal injuries,” explained Dr. Michaels.