Lower extremity equipment-related injuries in alpine recreational skiers.
Lower extremity equipment-related injuries are the most significant injury group in alpine skiing. The lower extremity equipment-related injuries occurring at four Norwegian ski resorts were studied during the winter of 1985 to 1986. A total of 132 skiers with injuries were included (40% of all injured skiers) and compared with a randomly selected control population of 316 uninjured skiers. The most common lower extremity equipment-related injuries were knee sprains (56%) and lower leg fractures (14%), usually caused by no or late binding release. Significantly more lower extremity equipment-related injuries (33%) than other skiing injuries (19%) needed hospital admittance. Children below 10 years had a risk of lower leg fractures nine times that of skiers beyond 20 years. Beginners were six times more at risk for a lower extremity equipment-related injury than skiers of higher skiing abilities. The following factors were also associated with a significantly increased risk for a lower extremity equipment-related injury: less than three skiing seasons, no skiing instruction, and no self-testing of the bindings.
Ekeland
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Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Ullevaal Hospital, University of Oslo, Norway.
Holtmoen
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Lystad
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007869:Leg Injuries / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D010809:Physical Fitness; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012865:Skiing / Q000293:injuries*