Injuries among male and female World Cup alpine skiers.
BACKGROUND
Limited knowledge exists on injuries among professional alpine skiers.


OBJECTIVE
To describe the risk of injury and the injury pattern among competitive World Cup alpine skiers during the competitive season.


METHODS
Retrospective interviews were performed with all World Cup athletes from 10 nations at the end of the 2006-7 and 2007-8 winter seasons, and all acute injuries occurring during the 4.5-month competitive season were recorded. If the athlete was not present, their coaches or medical personnel were interviewed.


RESULTS
A total of 191 acute injuries were recorded among 521 World Cup alpine skiers. As many as 86 injuries (45%) occurred during World Cup/World Ski Championship competitions, corresponding to an injury rate of 9.8 injuries per 1000 runs (95% CI 7.8 to 11.9). The injury rate was found to increase with increasing speed (slalom 4.9 injuries per 1000 runs, 95% CI 2.5 to 7.4--giant slalom 9.2, 5.1 to 13.3--super-G 11.0, 5.2 to 16.8--downhill 17.2, 11.6 to 22.7). The most frequently injured body part was the knee, with 68 injuries (36%), and 37 of these were severe. The overall injury rate was higher in males than in females, but not for knee injuries.


CONCLUSIONS
The risk of injury among World Cup athletes in alpine skiing is even higher than previously reported. The knee is the most commonly injured body part and with many severe injuries. Injury rate increased with a higher speed and was higher among males than in females.
Flørenes
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TW
Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center, Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, PB 4014 Ullevål Stadion, N-0806 Oslo, Norway. tonje.wale.florenes@nih.no
Bere
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Nordsletten
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L
Heir
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Bahr
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D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012865:Skiing / Q000293:injuries*