[An evaluation of knee ligament injuries encountered in skiers at the Uludag Ski Center].
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated the frequency, anatomic types, and predisposing factors of knee ligament injuries that occur in skiers during a winter season at the Uludag Ski Center, Bursa, Turkey.


METHODS
A total of 215 patients (240 knees) presented to the Uludag University-Sabanci Health Center after sustaining a skier knee injury during the 2003-2004 winter season. The mean patient age was 31 years (range 9 to 55 years). Knee ligament injuries were assessed according to the AOSSM (American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine) criteria. Cumulative data were collected from patient records and from a questionnaire administered to 100 healthy skiers.


RESULTS
The mean knee injury rate was 1.14 injuries per 1000 skier-days. The mean length of time between the occurrence of knee injuries was 875 skier-days. The most frequently injured ligament was the interior cruciate ligament (35.4%) followed by the anterior cruciate ligament (27.1%). Knee ligament injuries were significantly more common in skiers than in snowboarders (odds ratio 6.83, p<0.001). Hard and steep pists were associated with a two-fold risk for knee ligament injuries (odds ratio 2.28, p<0.001). For the occurrence of knee injuries, no significant differences were found with respect to sex and age.


CONCLUSIONS
The interior and the anterior cruciate ligaments are the most commonly injured ligaments in skiers. Two risk factors concerning the equipment (ski) and the environment (hard pists) play a significant role in the occurrence of knee injuries.
Demirağ
Burak
B
Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology (Ortopedi ve Travmatoloji Anabilim Dali), Medicine Faculty of Uludağ University, Bursa, Turkey. burakdemirag@hotmail.com
Oncan
Tevfik
T
Durak
Kemal
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000070598:Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012865:Skiing / Q000293:injuries*; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology