SEDL / STP / STP860-EB / STP46649S

Injury Risk in Alpine Skiing

Hauser, Wolfhart
Head, Technischer Überwachungs-Verein Bayern e. V., Munich,

Asang, Ernst
Professor and surgeon, Technische Universität München, Munich,

Müller, Bernhard
Professor and surgeon, Technische Universität München, Munich,

Pages: 11    Published: Jan 1985

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Abstract

Definitions and common problems of skiing injury statistics are discussed. The objective of the study is to make statements concerning special risk groups in alpine skiing. Injured skiers from a well-defined catchment area in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, are compared with a randomized control group of noninjured skiers. Injury patterns related to sex, age, skiing ability, equipment, and binding setting are established. The relatively high risk for beginners and children of experiencing lower extremity equipment-related injuries (LEER injuries) is mainly caused by bad equipment and incorrect binding settings. The severity of injuries of expert skiers is high, and these injuries are mainly of the non-LEER type; high-speed skiing, caused by good equipment and too perfect trail grooming, may be the reason. The deviations in binding setting are discussed in relation to injury patterns and are compared for several setting recommendation systems.