Injury is a looming threat as you head down the slopes this winter, both for beginners and most advanced athletes. A knee injury is one that you might fear the most because you have heard the horror stories about torn ACLs resulting in surgery and a long recuperation. Whether you are a skier or a snowboarder, taking the proper precautions will go a long way in reducing your risk of a knee injury.
Skiing Statistics
Knee injuries account for the bulk of skiing injuries. Common ski injuries include injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), a sprain of the medial collateral ligament (MCL) and injury to the meniscus. According to Sports Medicine of Atlanta, damage to the knee's ACL accounts for 50 percent of all ski injuries. When a skier catches the inside edge of her ski during a fall, it causes a sudden external rotation below the knee. This in turn can cause the ACL to become sprained or snap.
Snowboarding Injuries
The most common snowboarding injuries are wrist fractures and sprains and ankle fractures and sprains. Although some snowboarders experience knee injuries, they are not as common as with skiers. Falls tend to occur without warning, and a snowboarder will instinctually try to break his fall with the hands. Likewise, the motion of the ankle inside a snowboarding boot is higher than in a ski boot, resulting in the increased risk of an ankle injury. Head injuries are prevalent as well, which can be almost entirely prevented by wearing a helmet.
Preventing Knee Injuries
Since beginners are more prone to injury while skiing, beginners should keep their bindings looser than more experienced skiers. Keeping your knees bent to 45 to 90 degrees while skiing down the hill can lessen the stress put on the ligaments in your knees. It is important to keep your ski bindings up to date and maintained by a professional. The latest bindings have a "twist release" mechanism at the toe that might help to prevent some knee injuries, and have proven to prevent injuries to the tibia and ankle joint. Proper adjustments to your ski equipment can be done at a ski shop that you trust to help decrease your chances of injury on the slopes.
Conditioning for Winter Sports
Cardiovascular, flexibility and resistance training are all important in getting you in shape for the wintry slopes and reducing your risk of injury. As any skier or snowboarder knows, these activities take a lot of cardiovascular endurance, so implement moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercise into your normal routine. Focus on hip, hamstring and torso stretches after your normal exercise routine. Hold each stretch for about 30 seconds. Resistance training for the quadriceps and hamstrings can help you protect your knees from injury. Since balance and coordination are essential for any winter sports enthusiast, try doing one-legged balancing exercises, such as one-legged hops up stairs.
References
- Sports Injury Clinic: Skiing Injuries.
- American Society for Surgery of the Hand: Ski and Snowboard Injuries. 2011.
- NISMAT: Snowboarding Injuries and General Conditioning. 2007.
- Texas Arthroscopic Surgery Clinic: Looking Before You Leap and Other Ways to Prevent Knee Injuries. 2002.
- Sports Medicine of Atlanta: Alpine Skiing: Common Injuries in the Most Dangerous Sport. 2007.
- Adventure Sports: Five Principles of Preseason Ski Training. Chris Fellows. 2011.
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