Alpine skiing injuries.

Alpine skiing accidents admitted to the Trondheim Regional and University Hospital during one year were recorded. Of the 339 injured, 67 per cent were male and 33 per cent were female. Eighty-seven per cent were outpatients, and 13 per cent were hospitalized. Falling accidents (67 per cent), followed by collision accidents (17 per cent), were the most common cause of injury. The injuries in the lower extremities were caused by falling and the head injuries were mostly caused by collisions. Knee ligament strains were the most common injuries, and 17 per cent of these were hospitalized and required operative treatment. Of the minor knee strains, all 44 per cent were not fully recovered after two and a half years. Seventeen patients sustained tibial fractures, eleven of them spiral fractures and six transverse fractures. The patients with spiral fractures were younger than the patients with transverse fractures. Head injuries were the most severe injuries, with eleven concussions and two epidural haematomas.     

Downhill skiing injuries and their cost at a Finnish skiing area

During the 1987–1990 ski seasons. 325 consecutive patients sustained downhill skiing injuries at a skiing area in central Finland. The calculated injury rate was 0.94 per 1000 skier-days (0.9%) and 0.56 per 1000 skiers (0.06%). Forty-one percent of the injuries were located in the lower limbs and 37% in the upper limbs. Sprain was the most common type of injury (34%), followed by fractures (22%) and contusions (17%). Only 7% of the patients needed surgery. The estimated mean cost of medical treatment and sick leave was FIM 5500 (USD 1400) per patient.     

Downhill skiing injuries in children

The objective of our study was to compare injuries sustained by a large group of children to those of injured adults and a control population of skiers selected from the Sugarbush North ski area in northern Vermont. We reviewed all 3182 injuries which occurred over nine ski seasons (1972 to 1973 through 1980 to 1981) at Sugarbush North. Six hundred and ninety-six (22%) of these injuries occurred in children 16 years of age or younger. For all injuries combined, those under 11 years of age had the same rate of injury as adults. Adolescents had a higher injury rate. Foot and ankle injuries were more common in younger children. Knee injuries made up one-fifth of all injuries in all age groups and in older skiers tended to be relatively more serious. Tibia fractures were more prevalent in younger skiers and declined in all age groups over the period of study. Head and spine injuries comprised 6.2% of the pediatric injuries, and were more prevalent in children than in adults. Upper body injuries were less common in children than in adults. We found height, weight, and proximal tibial diameter to vary with age, but in any given age group there was no significant difference with injury type or the controls. Skiers with less skill or experience had a higher incidence of injuries than more experienced skiers or the control population. Injured skiers in all age groups were less likely to own their equipment. Adjustment of equipment by a professional or the skier did not vary with age or injury type.     

MRI of snow skiing and snowboarding injuries

Snow skiing has been called "the world's oldest sport," "the fastest non-motorized sport on Earth," and "the riskiest sport undertaken by adults on a routine basis." This article discusses the common mechanisms for orthopedic injuries occurring in two of the most popular winter sports in the world that have a reputation for an inherently high risk of injury: alpine skiing and snowboarding. The emphasis herein is on magnetic resonance imaging of characteristic injuries in skiers (knee, thumb, shoulder) and in snowboarders (wrist, forearm, ankle). Spine injuries in snowboarders and skiers are also discussed.     

Epidemiology of alpine skiing injuries in lowlanders

During one alpine skiing season injuries were registered prospectively among 951 Danish alpine skiers. The injury incidence was 19.4 injuries per 1000 skiing days, or 3.4 injuries per 1000 skiing hours. The incidence of injuries treated by a doctor was 5.9 injuries per 1000 skiing days, which is 2–5 times higher than previously reported. Lower extremity doctor-treated injuries comprised 65% of the total and upper extremity doctor-treated injuries 25% - a distribution seen 25 years ago in alpine skiing countries. Only 18% of the thumb injuries were seen by a doctor. Neither age, preholiday training, self-rated skiing ability, ski school attendance during the week nor the use of rented versus owned equipment significantly influenced the risk of injury.     

The biomechanics and imaging of soccer injuries

Soccer is one of the most popular sports worldwide and requires the player to have considerable stamina while superimposing sprinting, jumping, tackling, rapid changes of direction, and kicking. This contact sport carries a significant risk for acute and overuse injuries, with the lower limb the region most frequently injured. This article discusses the biomechanics and current role of imaging in the management of several specific soccer injuries highlighting injuries of the ankle, pelvis, and groin and specific muscle and tendon injuries commonly encountered in this athletic population.     

Telemark skiing injuries: an 11-year study

This study evaluated telemark injuries in a Swedish ski area in terms of injury ratio, location, and causes over time. During the seasons of 1989-2000 all injured telemark skiers ( n=94) who attended the medical center in T?rnaby, Sweden, within 48 h after the accident were registered and asked to fill in an injury form. A control group of noninjured telemark skiers were interviewed in the season of 1999-2000. The most common cause of injury was fall (70%) and the injury ratio was 1.2. There was a higher proportion of beginners in the injured population, and they had a fall/run ratio of 0.7, compared with 0.3 for average and advanced skiers. Ankle/foot injuries were most common (28% of injuries) followed by knee (20%) and head/neck (17%). The ankle/foot injuries decreased from 35% to 22% in the seasons 1989-1995 to 1995-2000. Beginners had more ankle/foot injuries than skilled participants. The severity of ankle/foot injuries classified as the Abbreviated Injury Scale group 2 or higher decreased from 33% to 21% during the study period. Twenty-seven percent used plastic and 73% leather boots. We found no association between boot material and ankle/foot injuries. The proportion of high boots with two or more buckles was 51%. High boots appeared to be protective against ankle/foot injuries. The proportion of high boots increased from 24% to 67% during the study period. Thus ankle/foot injuries were the most common injury location, but have decreased over time. The severity of these injuries has also decreased. A possible explanation could be the increased use of high boots.     

Snow skiing injuries in physically disabled skiers.

This study, through retrospective review, examines the injury rate of selected disable skiing populations in general and as compared to able-bodied skiers in areas where comparison was possible. Data on disabled skiers gathered from instructional programs at multiple sites indicate that the disabled skier had a very low rate of injury occurrence. Where comparison could be make, it was found that there was no significant difference in overall injury rates between able-bodied and physically disabled skiers. Disabled skiers appear to sustain less severe injuries, and they do not show the trend in increasing injury rates that able-bodied skiers in this study show. In addition, the uphill transport of skiers with a disability who use sit- or mono-skis was examined in one large program and found to be efficient and exceedingly safe, with no injuries reported. A major limitation of this study is the inconsistency in methods of data collection and reporting. There is a need for further prospective studies in the general able-bodied and disabled skiing populations with direct comparisons of rate, location and severity of injury, type of disability, and experience level of the skier. We hope that this study will stimulate more ski areas to allow disabled skiers on their slopes, even it limited to participation in supervised, instructional programs.     

Evaluation of skiing injuries by Injury Severity Score

The goal of this study was to evaluate the Injury Severity Score (ISS) in an alpine area. Hafjell Alpine Centre was the 1994 Winter Olympic Alpine arena in Lillehammer. A total of 2,044,484 lift transportations and 183 injuries were registered in the two winter seasons 1991 and 1992. The injury rate was 1.8 injuries per 1000 skier days. The mean ISS was 3.6 per injury for this particular alpine area. Thirty-six per cent of the injured were women and 35.5% were between 15 and 19 years of age. There was no difference in mean ISS between male and female skiers, but mean ISS was higher in adolescents than in the other age groups. Injuries to the knee represented the single most frequently injured body region, but injuries to the abdomen had the highest mean ISS. Alpine skiers suffered more severe injuries than telemark and snowboard skiers. Severe injuries (ISS > 16) were recorded when unexpected objects, such as a grooming machine, a net, a root, etc., appeared on the slope. The Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) and ISS give us additional information about the condition of the slopes, and their use as a tool in preventing skiing injuries is recommended.