UMEM Educational Pearls

Title: Epidemiology of Alpine Skiing Injuries

Keywords: Skiing, gamekeeper (PubMed Search)

Posted: 1/12/2019 by Brian Corwell, MD (Updated: 12/26/2024)
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Epidemiology of Alpine Skiing Injuries

Mean age of injury 30.3 (range 24 to 35.4 years)

Populations at greatest risk are children and adolescents and possibly adults over 50 (increased risk of tibial plateau fractures)

Sex: Males> females

Knee injuries, esp to ACL, are higher among females

Fractures greater in males

Injury location greatest at lower extremity (primarily to knee)

Primarily sprains to MCL and ACL (increasing incidence)

14% occur to upper extremity and primarily involve the thumb and shoulder

Skiers thumb – FOOSH with thumb Abducted gripping pole

Pole is implicated as this injury is rare among snowboarders

The pole acts as a lever to amplify the forced Abduction of the thumb as the outstretched hand hits the ground.

Let go before you hit the ground!!

13% occur to head and neck

The number of all type injuries has decreased over time with advances in equipment and helmet use

Proportion of skiers wearing a helmet exceeds 80%

However, the number of traumatic fatalities has remained constant

Accidents involving fatalities exceed the protective capacity of helmets

Helmets likely decrease risk of mild and moderate head injury

Ekeland et al., 2018. Epidemiology of Alpine Skiing Injuries. J Sci Med Sport

Davey et al., 2018. Alpine Skiing Injuries. Sports Health