Skiing and snowboarding send thousands of people to doctors every season. A review article in the January 1, 2018 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons looks at why, and how to avoid it. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons shared the findings on January 12, 2018.
The numbers are large. In 2015, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission counted more than 140,000 people treated for these injuries. Of those, 88,210 were hurt skiing and 61,668 while snowboarding.
Snowboarders turned out to be three times more likely than skiers to get injured. Their share of snow sport injuries has also grown fast, from 4 percent in 1989 to as much as 56 percent by 1999.
The injuries cover the spine, pelvis, shoulder, wrist, hands, knees, foot and ankle. Skiers mostly hurt their legs, especially the knees, because of twisting forces that act even when bindings release properly. Snowboarders, by contrast, more often hurt their arms, usually when they fall onto their hands.
Lead author Brett D. Owens, MD, is a sports medicine surgeon and professor of orthopaedic surgery at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. He said some injuries cannot be avoided. Still, many happen when people go past their comfort zone in speed or difficulty.
Dr. Owens offers several tips:
- start a general conditioning program before the season and stay hydrated;
- know your equipment, check that bindings release when they should and that boots fit;
- keep ski and board edges flat and sharp;
- always wear a helmet;
- avoid alcohol and drugs;
- be able to slow down and stop on crowded days;
- take extra care in poor weather, and never ride out of bounds.
He also advises following all posted signs and the instructions of the ski patrol.
