Telemark skiing injuries: an 11-year study

Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2001 Nov;9(6):386-91. doi: 10.1007/s001670100229. Epub 2001 Jul 25.

Abstract

This study evaluated telemark injuries in a Swedish ski area in terms of injury ratio, location, and causes over time. During the seasons of 1989-2000 all injured telemark skiers ( n=94) who attended the medical center in Tärnaby, Sweden, within 48 h after the accident were registered and asked to fill in an injury form. A control group of noninjured telemark skiers were interviewed in the season of 1999-2000. The most common cause of injury was fall (70%) and the injury ratio was 1.2. There was a higher proportion of beginners in the injured population, and they had a fall/run ratio of 0.7, compared with 0.3 for average and advanced skiers. Ankle/foot injuries were most common (28% of injuries) followed by knee (20%) and head/neck (17%). The ankle/foot injuries decreased from 35% to 22% in the seasons 1989-1995 to 1995-2000. Beginners had more ankle/foot injuries than skilled participants. The severity of ankle/foot injuries classified as the Abbreviated Injury Scale group 2 or higher decreased from 33% to 21% during the study period. Twenty-seven percent used plastic and 73% leather boots. We found no association between boot material and ankle/foot injuries. The proportion of high boots with two or more buckles was 51%. High boots appeared to be protective against ankle/foot injuries. The proportion of high boots increased from 24% to 67% during the study period. Thus ankle/foot injuries were the most common injury location, but have decreased over time. The severity of these injuries has also decreased. A possible explanation could be the increased use of high boots.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Abbreviated Injury Scale
  • Accidental Falls / statistics & numerical data
  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Ankle Injuries / classification
  • Ankle Injuries / epidemiology
  • Athletic Injuries / epidemiology*
  • Causality
  • Child
  • Contusions / epidemiology
  • Craniocerebral Trauma / epidemiology
  • Foot Injuries / classification
  • Foot Injuries / epidemiology
  • Fractures, Bone / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Knee Injuries / classification
  • Knee Injuries / epidemiology
  • Middle Aged
  • Neck Injuries / epidemiology
  • Reference Values
  • Risk-Taking
  • Shoes / adverse effects
  • Skiing / injuries*
  • Skiing / statistics & numerical data*
  • Sports Equipment / adverse effects
  • Sprains and Strains / epidemiology
  • Sweden / epidemiology
  • Task Performance and Analysis
  • Wounds, Nonpenetrating / epidemiology