Evolution of ACL Ruptures in French Ski Resorts 1992–1999

Abstract

This work done by 72 French doctors in the “Médecins de Montagne” skiing safety network studies the evolution of the rate of ACL ruptures since 1992. The study was done on 232 571 injuries including 21 303 ACL ruptures. Alpine skiing ACL ruptures, which have been increasing since 1992, represent 12.5% of accidents (3125 MDBI). A control group is analyzed each season through interviews at the bottom of the slopes in parking lots and random evaluations. We have ascertained that ACL ruptures represent 9.2% of total injuries in men, in comparison with 20% in women, over 24 years old. The case-control study, women versus men, stratified by age group, shows a remarkable ODDS ratio for adults (over 16 years old) with an extremely reduced confidence interval at 95% (3.26 < 3.41 < 3.56). The ISO adjustment charts do not currently take into account a major risk factor, the feminine sex. Among the possible preventive measures that can be taken for ACL ruptures in women is to evoke the decrease in adjustment values. There are no studies that prove the effectiveness of a decrease in adjustment values on the incidence of ACL ruptures, but there are corroborating arguments in favor of a positive action. The only risks of a decrease in the adjustment are extremely low, in particular that of inadvertent release. Different authors have demonstrated the possibility of a decrease in adjustment without inadvertent release. We suggest, beside the education of the skiers, in the prevention of the phantom foot, a 15% decrease in binding adjustment values for women over 25 years old, and 30% for beginners with less than 7 days of skiing.

New Zealand Snow Sports Injury Trends Over Five Winter Seasons 2010–2014

“…These findings align with earlier studies [5][6][7][8]. Since the introduction of the carving ski in 1993, female skiers have dominated knee injury trends.…”

Injuries among World Cup freestyle skiers

“…In contrast, the present data on freestyle skiing show no sex difference in the absolute or relative injury risk. Several studies have reported a twofold greater rate of knee injuries among female recreational skiers,14 29–31 while the rate of shoulder, spine and head injuries has been shown to be higher in male skiers 14 29 32–34. However, no sex differences were found in the rate of knee injuries among WC Alpine skiers 10.…”

Correlation of axial impact forces with knee joint forces and kinematics during simulated ski-landing

“…A common skiing injury is anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture (Gianotti, Marshall, Hume, & Bunt, 2008;Johnson, 1995), comprising 20-30% of all skiing injuries (Laporte, Binet, & Constans, 2000;Pujol, Blanchi, & Chambat, 2007). Anterior cruciate ligament injuries are often linked to stiff landings from a jump in a flexed knee posture during highspeed downhill skiing (Ettlinger, Johnson, & Shealy, 1995;Figueras, Escalas, & Vidal, 1987).…”