SEDL / STP / STP1345-EB / STP12366S

Femur Fractures in French Winter Sports Resorts

Laporte, JD
Resort physicians, Médecins de Montagne, Skiing Safety Network, Les Angles

Binet, MH
Resort physicians, Médecins de Montagne, Skiing Safety Network, Les Angles

Constans, D
Resort physicians, Médecins de Montagne, Skiing Safety Network, Les Angles

Pages: 8    Published: Jan 1999

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Abstract

This paper presents the study of the incidence of femur fractures and their epidemiological description in the French winter sports resorts. During the 1994, 1995, and 1996 seasons, 99.339 injuries were recorded by the 72 physicians of the “Médecins de Mon- tagne” Skiing Safety Network. These physicians are divided into 52 winter sports resorts. Their distribution is homogeneous across the entire French mountainous regions. During the 1994 season and in the Northern Alps region, we have studied the activity of the Hospital Rescue Service (SAMU in France) as well as a control group. The descriptive analysis confirms the increasing risk of femoral neck fractures among women over 55 and noted a lesser risk among female teenagers and young women. The incidence of femur fracture is 1.5/100 000 skiers per day or 65.769 MDBI (2.5/1000 skiers per day for all downhill injuries).