It is becoming more and more common to practice sports in high mountains, skiing being one of the most practiced and one of the most harmful, due to the risk involved in its exercise. The areas affected will vary depending on the type of skiing practiced. In this sense, snowboarding has a higher injury rate than other ski modalities.
Knee injuries
Knee injury is the most common injury in this sport, specifically that of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). This is caused by the twisting or turning mechanism of the femur over the tibia or knee hyperflexion. In turn, meniscal tears or ligamentous injuries (posterior cruciate ligament, cartilage, etc.) could be caused by impact.
As for ACL injuries, women are more likely to rupture because they have less periarticular musculature and greater laxity. Some of the predisposing factors to knee injuries are the quality of the snow, poor skiing technique or poorly adjusted bindings.
The rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament can cause:
- Inability to practice sports involving the pivot of the knee, such as soccer, tennis, paddle tennis, handball, etc.
- Joint instability in the knee causing daily discomfort.
- Rapid progression to osteoarthritis
The most commonly used treatment to solve these annoying inconveniences is surgery, specifically the patient’s own arthroscopic ligamentoplasty.
Shoulder injuries
Direct trauma to the shoulder can easily lead to dislocation, ligament involvement or fracture. Sometimes it is not diagnosed until the joint is at rest.
Depending on the ligament injury sustained, the dislocation may be high or low grade. From the point of view of sports performance, it is always recommended to opt for surgical treatment when there is no contact between the clavicle and the acromion. The technique we generally propose is stabilization with a suspension system using an arthroscopic approach. Clavicle fractures are treated with a sling and subsequent physiotherapy exercises. However, more serious cases, caused by a fall at high speed or after a jump, may require surgical stabilization by osteosynthesis.
Another frequent case is when a shoulder dislocation occurs after a collision or fall. This produces a loss of contact between the glenoid of the scapula and the head of the humerus. The first thing to do is to rule out vasculonervous lesions and reduce the shoulder with the sling technique. In case of existing bone lesions, there will be a greater predisposition to new dislocations. Patients who regularly practice sports are recommended to undergo surgical treatment. Likewise, the shoulder arthroscopy technique allows less hospitalization time, as well as less pain and less scarring.
Wrist and hand injuries
The hand and wrist area are not safe either during the practice of this winter sport. Some of the injuries that can occur are:
- Contusions
- Dislocations
- Fractures
- Ligament sprains
One of the most common injuries among skiers is the so-called ranger’s thumb, an injury caused by hyperextension of the medial collateral ligament when the finger gets caught on the ski pole. It is usually treated by casting the finger in question, although surgery is sometimes necessary.
Skull and trunk injuries
These traumas are more common in children. They are avoidable in many cases, through the use of sunglasses and a helmet. Vertebral crushing and/or fractures may also occur.
Recommendations
- It is important to take extreme precautions by using shock-proof equipment.
- The height of the poles, the fastenings of the boards, the size of the boots, etc. should be checked.
- It is essential to wear a helmet and goggles, among other protective accessories.
- Avoid skiing on hard snow, as this is conducive to slipping and loss of control.
- Be careful with soft snow because it can generate a gripping effect at the end of the day.
- Be in optimal physical condition to minimize the risk of injury.