Document Title: Langran-AJSM-Jan04.shtml
Article Title: Increased Injury Risk Among First-Day Skiers, Snowboarders, and Skiboarders
Authors: Mike Langran, BM, and Sivasubramaniam Selvaraj
Publication: American Journal of Sports Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
Date: January 2004
Volume 32, pages 96-103
Keywords: Snowsports, injuries, first-day participants (FDPs), injury prevention, knee injuries, wrist injuries, head injuries, protective gear, skiing, snowboarding, skiboarding, risk.

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Comments: This article is an eye-opener for anyone who is considering taking up a new snow sport. Simply being new and inexperienced raises the injury risk enormously. And, although taking lessons from a professional is advisable, keep in mind that newly learned skills do not confer true experience, and therefore the newcomer to snowsports is reminded to not be overly confident. It was noted that using gear borrowed from friends or family was associated with almost an eightfold increased risk of injury...and so the financial savings of such borrowing are likely to prove illusory. Also to be kept in mind is that although the wearing of protective equipment and padding is indeed wise, beware of the "revenge effect". No protective gear is a license to take greater risk. (If donning a helmet automatically makes you feel capable of pursuing a near-vertical triple-black-diamond run -- as is often depicted in media advertisements -- on your first day, then please take a moment to ponder the implications of the following fundamental law of physics: kinetic energy, and hence injury risk, increases with speed squared; additionally, higher speed means reduced reaction time.) Note, too, that because alpine-ski bindings are incapable of detecting the torque at the knee (since said torque is a function of the knee flexion angle), even the best-adjusted ski bindings cannot reliably protect the knee against twisting-type injuries. (For more insight into skiing injuries in particular, see the July 2002 article by Hame et al.)

ABSTRACT

Background: Inexperience predisposes skiers, snowboarders, and skiboarders to a higher risk of injury.

Hypothesis: Individuals on their very 1st day’s experience of skiing, snowboarding, or skiboarding are at greater risk of injury.

Study Design: Case control study.

Methods: All individuals injured at the three largest ski areas in Scotland during the three winter seasons 1999–2000 through 2001–2002 were included. First-day participants were identified. Individual demographic details and snow sports–related parameters were recorded. Control data were collected from uninjured individuals. Factors associated with injury were explored in univariate and multivariate analyses.

Results: First-day participants were overrepresented in the injured population by a factor of 2.2. Participant age younger than 17 years or older than 26 years, snowboarding, taking professional instruction, and the use of rented or borrowed gear were all independently associated with increased injury risk among 1st-day participants.

Conclusions: First-day participants are at increased risk of injury. Several independent risk factors for injury have been identified.

Clinical Relevance: First-day participants should be targeted in any future educational programs with emphasis on gear selection, use of protective gear, and the risks of exceeding the limits of their ability.

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