上海日报SHINE——Orthopedists wait for snowboarders at end of piste

转自上海日报SHINE

2022年2月12日

专家：上海中医药大学附属龙华医院 骨伤科 姚若愚副主任医师

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The Beijing Winter Olympics are in full swing, and enthusiasm for ice and snow sports is at their peak. However, not everyone is Gu Ailing.

The case of Formula One star Michael Schumacher, who was involved in a skiing accident in 2013 and is still in a severe condition, is with us.

At Beijing, American athlete Nina O'Brien suffered a compound fracture of her left tibia and fibula after crashing near the end of her second giant slalom run. And Japanese athlete Rina Yoshika suffered a serious spine injury during pre-race training, forcing her to withdraw.

The saying that "Orthopedists wait for snowboarders at end of piste" has gone viral on Weibo, with the dangers of skiing becoming a concern.

The American skier Nina O'Brien suffered a nasty crash in the second run of the Beijing 2022 giant slalom on February 7.

Most common types of injury in snow sports

Yao Ruoyu, associate chief of Shanghai Longhua Hospital's orthopedic injury department, told Shanghai Daily that with the growing enthusiasm for skiing, he had recently received several cases of skiing injuries.

"The most impressive case is a broken clavicle patient who came here from northeast China's Jilin Province," Yao said. "He was skiing too fast and fell forward, landing on his shoulder."

Skiing injuries, according to Yao, include sprains, fractures, spinal injuries and knee strains. Sprains and fractures are more common among beginners, with wrist fractures and knee sprains being the most common.

According to a report from Peking University in 2021, there were 755 injuries at a large ski resort in China over one skiing season, with a daily injury rate of about 0.2 percent.

The most common causes of injury were technical defects and errors (53.6 percent), with the highest proportion knee injuries (18.7 percent), followed by head and neck (12.9 percent) and lower limbs (11.9 percent).

In addition, most injuries were sustained on the intermediate ski slopes, and by people who had participated in skiing for less than five years.

Males were more likely to be injured, and patients were mainly between the ages of 21 and 30.

Fracture distribution of skiers illustrated by netizens.

It is critical to learn to fall

Henrik Stefes, a German, is the Co-Founder and Director of SNOW51 Ski experience center, an indoor skiing and training facility in China.

He told Shanghai Daily that skiing is a sport that does not have an age limit. The youngest skier he has encountered is less than 3 years old, while the oldest is more than 70. And most customers in the SNOW51 are novices.

As the saying goes, the first lesson in skiing is to learn to fall.

A fall, according to Yao, is the most common cause of skiing injuries. Learning the proper fall position is critical for minimizing injuries.

Henrik Stefes talks with young students at SNOW51.

"If there are obstacles in front of you or the speed is too fast, you should learn to fall actively," Yao said.

"Keep knees close together, tilt your body to the side, and let your hips hit the ground. And when falling from a snowboard, it is important to remember not to use your wrists to support the ground. Otherwise, wrist fractures are common."

Perhaps because head injuries are the most feared, the concept of wearing a helmet while skiing has gained traction. However, many other areas that require attention are being overlooked.

From experience in China, Henrik discovered that the popular resorts are all equipped with the latest lift technology and modern faculties, and that slope design and preparation are also of high quality. However, people's awareness of important safety rules on and off the slopes can still be improved.

"The so called 'FIS (International Ski Federation) rules for the conduct of skier and snowboarder' are a must know and to be followed by everyone," he said.

"But I've seen a very high percentage of skier and snowboarders who choose ski or snowboard that they actually cannot control with their ability. This not only slows down the learning process, but it also poses a safety risk."

10 FIS rules for the conduct of skiers and snowboarders.

Fatigue is also a problem. According to Henrik, accidents mostly happen in the afternoon, on one of the last runs.

"So avoid fatigue skiing!" he warned.

Another point that is easily overlooked is that, with the popularity of shooting vlogs, an increasing number of young people prefer to ski with a video recording device such as a GoPro strapped to their chest or helmet. But this is dangerous, especially for inexperienced skiers.

"When the skiers fall from the boards, it's very easy to injure their ribs, and I've seen such cases," Dr Yao said.