Make It Your Resolution: Play It Safe On The Slopes And Snow

Main Category: Sports Medicine / Fitness
Also Included In: Neurology / Neuroscience;  Public Health
Article Date: 05 Jan 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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When a celebrity suffers a fatal sports-related head injury, it hits the national news; when the average person does, it may hit the local newspaper. Both hit home and are equally devastating and often preventable tragedies. The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) offers this advice: Whether you are a novice or advanced, an average person or a celebrity proceed with caution, and play it safe on the slopes and snow. Wearing a helmet and following other safety precautions may save your life or the life of your child. The following are just a few true-life stories about winter sports-related head injuries:

On January 5, 1998, Sony Bono, age 62, died from a traumatic brain injury after striking a tree while skiing near South Lake Tahoe. An accomplished skier, Bono was not wearing a helmet.

-- On December 31, 1997, Michael Kennedy, age 39, son of the late Robert F. Kennedy, died immediately after hitting a tree, fracturing his skull and cervical vertebrae and severing his spinal cord. He was playing a football game while skiing and was not wearing a helmet.

-- On December 25, 2007, a 13-year-old Michigan girl was killed when she lost control and slammed into a retaining wall at Schuss Mountain resort near Traverse City. She was a novice skier and not wearing a helmet.

-- In 2006, a 21-year-old man was snowboarding without a helmet and fell 10-15 feet, suffering serious head trauma and seizures. He was admitted to the hospital and his post-injury status is unknown.

-- In 2006, a 25-year-old man was ice skating at a local rink and fell on his head, suffering an intracranial hemorrhage. He remained hospitalized, dazed, and with no memory of the accident.

Every year, thousands of adults and children are treated at U.S. hospital emergency rooms for head injuries related to winter sports. And there are many that lose their lives or suffer life-altering head injuries. The most recent head injury statistic estimates from 2006, related to winter sports, from the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission:

-- Snow Boarding: 6,326

-- Ice Hockey: 5,263

-- Snow Skiing: 4,922

-- Ice Skating: 2,924

-- Sleds, Snow Disks and Toboggans: 2,142

-- Snowmobiles: 301

Head injuries tend to be most serious and result in fatalities from skiing and snowmobile accidents. While the number of skiing-related head injuries has remained about the same, the good news is that the number of snowmobile-related head injuries has decreased considerably in the last two years. Snowboarding has gained popularity in recent years and the number of head injuries has increased. The majority of ice hockey and skating accidents result in concussions or contusions. While many organized hockey team players wear helmets, concussions can still occur. However, it is important to remember that helmets worn in conjunction with all winter sports may help prevent far more devastating consequences.

According to the AANS, many head injuries can be avoided by following these simple safety precautions:

-- Buy and use helmets or protective head gear approved by the ASTM for specific sports 100 percent of the time.

-- Wear appropriate clothing for the sport.

-- Do not participate in sports when you are ill, very tired, or have consumed alcohol.

-- Do not participate in outdoor sports when weather conditions pose a serious hazard.

-- Drive snowmobiles slowly and only on marked trails.

-- Ice skate only in areas designated for skating, and be sure to check the ice for cracks and debris.

-- Use only sleds that can be steered, and never go down a slope head first.

-- Follow all posted signs and warnings on ski slopes, sledding hills and ice skating rinks.

Founded in 1931 as the Harvey Cushing Society, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is a scientific and educational association with more than 7,200 members worldwide. The AANS is dedicated to advancing the specialty of neurological surgery in order to provide the highest quality of neurosurgical care to the public. All active members of the AANS are certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (Neurosurgery) of Canada or the Mexican Council of Neurological Surgery, AC. Neurological surgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of disorders that affect the entire nervous system, including the spinal column, spinal cord, brain, and peripheral nerves.

American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS)
5550 Meadowbrook Dr.
Rolling Meadows, IL 60008
United States
http://www.neurosurgerytoday.org