Skiing is Getting Safer, Resulting in Reduced Sports Injuries

The number of people injured in skiing accidents has been sinking for years; but for those for whom a ski run ends in hospital, constantly improved diagnosis and new surgical techniques are making a marked difference.

A symposium dedicated to winter sports reported that in Austria, where skiing is very popular, the number of people treated in hospital following skiing and snowboard accidents has fallen, as statistics from the Austrian traffic safety board demonstrate. While in 2004 around 68,700 patients had to be admitted to hospital because of skiing accidents, in 2006 the number fell to 59,100, a 15% drop. Analyses carried out by the German Ski Association also demonstrated a similar, continuing decline in the number of injured; during the 2007/2008 season, compared to 1979/80, the first season for which figures are available, there were 50% fewer injuries in alpine sports in Germany per 1,000 skiers. The trend evident in Austria and Germany is also matched by developments in Switzerland.

At the same time, there have been major changes in diagnosis and therapy of ski-related injuries. Diagnostic arthroscopy is becoming obsolete in a growing number of cases due the alternative method of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tomography. Major progress has also been made in the area of knee surgery. Many more operations are being carried out using minimally invasive methods today, as compared to just a few years ago. New findings are also available on optimal timing of operations, which should be carried out either in the acute phase (within 48 hours of an accident), or not until 3 or 4 weeks later, when trauma around the joint has subsided. The data were presented at the annual congress of the European Federation of National Associations of Orthopedics and Traumatology (EFORT, Zurich, Switzerland), which was held during June 2009 in Vienna (Austria).

"Many untrained skiers are fatigued after a couple of hours, but carry on skiing the whole day. That is why most ski accidents occur in the afternoon,” said symposium moderator orthopedic surgeon Professor Christian Fink, M.D., of the University of Innsbruck (Austria). "The spectrum of injuries has barely changed. The most common, as in the past, is injury to ligaments in the region of the knee. The hip is the second most common injury site, followed by the shoulder. The head accounts for only 10% of injuries.”

The main risk factors for injuries incurred while skiing are fatigue, and to a lesser degree, overestimating one's abilities, leading to dangerous speeding. Contrary to popular belief, ski carving and snowboards have not made the slopes more dangerous; in fact, using carving skis has proved to be no more dangerous than using conventional skis.

Related Links:
European Federation of National Associations of Orthopedics and Traumatology
University of Innsbruck