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Gender, skiing and snowboarding ability linked to injury rates
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GENEVA — Women were twice as likely to suffer knee injuries while skiing or snowboarding than men, according to ski and snowboard registry data presented at the European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery and Arthroscopy Congress 2012, here.
Although the men studied had more shoulder injuries than the women, women had a 31% knee injury rate among the 8,547 skiers recorded in the Norwegian Ski Lift Association database registry during the 2008 to 2009 and 2009 to 2010 winter seasons. The rate was twice as high as the 15% rate of knee injuries for men in the same time period.
“The higher prevalence of knee injuries and lower prevalence of shoulder injuries in females compared to males were significant both for skiers and boarders, and also when relating to skiing ability,” Arne Ekeland, MD, PhD, said.
 Arne Ekeland |
Alpine skiers had 27% more knee injuries than snowboarders, however, 25% of all the wrist injuries occurred in snowboarders compared to skiers, who had a 5% wrist injury rate. Seventy percent of the skiers and snowboarders studied wore a helmet, however, “the prevalence of head injuries has dropped less than expected,” Ekeland said.
“Head injuries with helmets need less physician and hospital admission than those without helmets,” he said.
Ekeland and colleagues also discovered the prevalence of skiing injuries varied according to the athlete’s skill level and type of injury. They found expert skiers were more likely to sustain head and shoulder injuries than beginners, but wrist and knee injuries were more common in beginners.
Reference:
- Ekeland A, Rødven A. Skiing and boarding injuries related to ability and gender. Paper #FP29-442. Presented at the European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery and Arthroscopy Congress 2012. May 2-5. Geneva.
- Disclosure: Ekeland has no relevant financial disclosures.
