More Alpine Skiers And Snowboarders With Serious Head Injuries

Editor's Choice
Main Category: Sports Medicine / Fitness
Also Included In: Neurology / Neuroscience
Article Date: 05 Dec 2007 - 0:00 PDT

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The number of people who go skiing or snowboarding in the Alps and end up with serious head and spinal cord injuries has risen significantly over the last 15 years, according to an article published in Injury Prevention (BMJ). It is no coincidence that people are skiing/snowboarding faster than 15 years ago, as well as jumping and doing acrobatics more, the authors explain.

The researchers looked at a comprehensive international trawl of published injury experienced by mountain skiers/snowboarders during 1990-2004. They sifted through 51 studies and examined, in detail, a shortlist of 24 from ten different countries.

They were specifically looking out for serious brain and spinal cord injuries. These injuries, while not very common, are the leading causes of death.

It seems, say the authors, that among countries that have reported data, the number of serious injuries has been rising steadily over the last decade and-a-half. Head injuries now make up 15% of injuries sustained by skiers, compared to 12% in 1993. The number of serious injuries sustained by snowboarders has quintupled during the same period.

They also found that an adult under 35 is three times as likely to sustain a brain injury as a child, while male enthusiasts run a significantly higher risk of serious injury than female enthusiasts.

Wearing a helmet, say the authors, can reduce the risk of serious brain injury by 22%-60%. Not only are these injuries generally irreversible and devastating, they are also very costly.

The writers stress that more needs to be done to promote the wearing of helmets, and the enforcement of design standards (of helmets).

"An international review of head and spinal cord injuries in alpine skiing and snowboarding"
A Ackery, B E Hagel, C Provvidenza, C H Tator
Injury Prevention 2007;13:368-375; doi:10.1136/ip.2007.017285
Clic here to view abstract online

Written by - Christian Nordqvist
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