Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-c47g7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-23T18:34:11.060Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Emergency Service Assistance for Injuries on Alpine Ski Slopes: A Cross-Sectional Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 October 2022

Moritz Wagner Open the ORCID record for Moritz Wagner [Opens in a new window] ,
Simon Pfurtscheller ,
Dietmar Dammerer Open the ORCID record for Dietmar Dammerer [Opens in a new window] ,
Paul Nardelli ,
Gerhard Kaufmann Open the ORCID record for Gerhard Kaufmann [Opens in a new window]  and
Alexander Brunner Open the ORCID record for Alexander Brunner [Opens in a new window]
Moritz Wagner*
Affiliation:
Orthopedics and Traumatology BKH St. Johann in Tirol, Bahnhofstrasse 14, 6380 St. Johann in Tirol, Austria
Simon Pfurtscheller
Affiliation:
Innsbruck Medical University, Anichstrasse 42, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
Dietmar Dammerer
Affiliation:
Dr.-Karl-Dorrek-Straße 30, 3500 Krems an der Donau, Austria
Paul Nardelli
Affiliation:
Clinic for Trauma Surgery, Anichstrasse 42, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
Gerhard Kaufmann
Affiliation:
OFZ Innsbruck, Innrain 2, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
Alexander Brunner
Affiliation:
Orthopedics and Traumatology BKH St. Johann in Tirol, Bahnhofstrasse 14, 6380 St. Johann in Tirol, Austria
*
Correspondence: Moritz Wagner, MD, BKH St. Johann, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Bahnhofstrasse 14, 6380 St. Johann in Tirol, Austria, E-mail: moritz.wagner@gmail.com
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objectives:

Injuries on alpine ski slopes have been described in cohorts of a reasonable sample size, but constant improvements in safety gear, increased use of airborne rescue, and safety measures during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic mandate re-evaluation. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate skiing and snowboarding injuries, effectiveness of airborne rescue, and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on a large sample size.

Methods:

Data on alpine injuries were prospectively collected from the state emergency services dispatch center in the state of Tyrol (Austria). A total of 10,143 patients were identified, with an average age of 33.5 years (SD = 20.36). The ski patrol was involved in 8,606 cases (84.9%) and some patients (n = 1,536; 15.1%) required helicopter rescue.

Results:

A total of 10,143 patients were identified from the dataset of the emergency dispatch center. The most frequently injured region was the knee (30.2%), and it was followed by the shoulder (12.9%), the lower leg (9.5%), and the head/skull (9.5%).

Conclusion:

The present findings indicate that the most frequent site of injuries on alpine slopes is the knee, and life-threatening injuries are rare. Airborne rescue is very time-effective, however clinical studies with patient follow-up should be emphasized to determine the impact of airborne rescue on patient outcome. The present findings indicate that the duration of all rescue operations has been prolonged as a result of the introduction of safety measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords

airbornealpineCOVID-19helicopterinjuryski
Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 37 , Issue 6 , December 2022 , pp. 778 - 782
Check for updates
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Stenroos, A, Handolin, L. Incidence of recreational alpine skiing and snowboarding injuries: six-year experience in the largest ski resort in Finland. Scand J Surg. 2015;104(2):127–131.Google Scholar
Kim, S, Endres, NK, Johnson, RJ, et al. Snowboarding injuries: trends over time and comparisons with alpine skiing injuries. Am J Sports Med. 2012;40(4):770–776.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Costa-Scorse, BA, Hopkins, WG, Cronin, J, et al. New Zealand Snow Sports Injury Trends Over Five Winter Seasons 2010-2014. Snow Sports Trauma and Safety. Berlin, Germany: Springer International Publishing; 2017: pp17–28.Google Scholar
Coury, T, Napoli, AM, Wilson, M, et al. Injury patterns in recreational alpine skiing and snowboarding at a mountainside clinic. Wilderness Environ Med. 2013;24(4):417–421.Google Scholar
McBeth, PB, Ball, CG, Mulloy, RH, et al. Alpine ski and snowboarding traumatic injuries: incidence, injury patterns, and risk factors for 10 years. Am J Surg. 2009;197(5):560–564.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Niedermeier, M, Gatterer, H, Pocecco, E, et al. Mortality in different mountain sports activities primarily practiced in the winter season—a narrative review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;17(1):259.Google ScholarPubMed
Goulet, C, Hagel, BE, Hamel, D, et al. Self-reported skill level and injury severity in skiers and snowboarders. J Sci Med Sport. 2010;13(1):39–41.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ekeland, A, Rødven, A, Heir, S. Injuries among children and adults in alpine skiing and snowboarding. J Sci Med Sport. 2019;22:S3–S6.Google ScholarPubMed
Telgheder, ZL, Kistler, BJ. Ski and snowboard - related orthopedic injuries. Orthopedic Clinics of North America. 2020;51(4):461–469.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tarka, MC, Davey, A, Lonza, GC, et al. Alpine ski racing injuries. Sports Health. 2019;11(3):265–271.Google ScholarPubMed
Davey, A, Endres, NK, Johnson, RJ, et al. Alpine skiing injuries. Sports Health. 2019;11(1):18–26.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burtscher, M, Gatterer, H, Flatz, M, et al. Effects of modern ski equipment on the overall injury rate and the pattern of injury location in Alpine skiing. Clin J Sport Med. 2008;18(4):355–357.Google ScholarPubMed
Posch, M, Burtscher, M, Schranz, A, et al. Impact of lowering ski binding settings on the outcome of the self-release test of ski bindings among female recreational skiers. Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine. 2017;8:267–272.Google ScholarPubMed
Hildebrandt, C, Mildner, E, Hotter, B, et al. Accident prevention on ski slopes - perceptions of safety and knowledge of existing rules. Accid Anal Prev. 2011;43(4):1421–1426.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bailly, N, Laporte, JD, Afquir, S, et al. Effect of helmet use on traumatic brain injuries and other head injuries in alpine sport. Wilderness Environ Med. 2018;29(2):151–158.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ruedl, G, Pocecco, E, Brunner, F, et al. Factors associated with safety knowledge on alpine ski slopes. Sportverletzung-Sportschaden. 2018;32(4):227–232.Google ScholarPubMed
Mansournia, MA, Collins, GS, Nielsen, RO, et al. A CHecklist for statistical Assessment of Medical Papers (the CHAMP statement): explanation and elaboration. Br J Sports Med. 2021;55(18):1009–1017.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Aschauer, E, Ritter, E, Resch, H, et al. Injuries and injury risk in skiing and snowboarding. Unfallchirurg. 2007;110(4):301–306.Google ScholarPubMed
Polites, SF, Mao, SA, Glasgow, AE, et al. Safety on the slopes: ski versus snowboard injuries in children treated at United States trauma centers. J Pediatr Surg. 2018;53(5):1024–1027.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Xiang, H, Kelleher, K, Shields, BJ, et al. Skiing- and snowboarding-related injuries treated in US emergency departments, 2002. J Trauma. 2005;58(1):112–118.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Langran, M, Selvaraj, S. Increased injury risk among first-day skiers, snowboarders, and skiboarders. Am J Sports Med. 2004;32(1):96–103.Google ScholarPubMed
Burtscher, M, Philadelphy, M. Skiing Collision Accidents: Frequency and Types of Injuries. ASTM Special Technical Publication. West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania USA: ASTM; 1996: pp73–76.Google Scholar
Koehle, MS, Lloyd-Smith, R, Taunton, JE. Alpine ski injuries and their prevention. Sports Medicine. 2002;32(12):785–793.Google ScholarPubMed
Posch, M, Schranz, A, Lener, M, et al. Incidences of fatalities on Austrian ski slopes: a 10-year analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(8):2916.Google ScholarPubMed
Hagel, BE, Meeuwisse, WH, Mohtadi, NGH, et al. Skiing and snowboarding injuries in the children and adolescents of Southern Alberta. Clin J Sport Med. 1999;9(1):9–17.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davidson, TM, Laliotis, AT. Alpine skiing injuries. A nine-year study. West J Med. 1996;164(4):310–314.Google ScholarPubMed
Ruedl, G, Bilek, H, Ebner, H, et al. Fatalities on Austrian ski slopes during a 5-year period. Wilderness Environ Med. 2011;22(4):326–328.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Werner, S, Willis, K. Self-release of ski-binding. Int J Sports Med. 2002;23(7):530–535.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ruedl, G, Helle, K, Tecklenburg, K, et al. Factors associated with self-reported failure of binding release among ACL injured male and female recreational skiers: a catalyst to change ISO binding standards? Br J Sports Med. 2016;50(1):37–40.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gaudio, RM, Barbieri, S, Feltracco, P, et al. Impact of alcohol consumption on winter sports-related injuries. Med Sci Law. 2010;50(3):122–125.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blancher, M, Albasini, F, Elsensohn, F, et al. Management of multi-casualty incidents in mountain rescue: evidence-based guidelines of the International Commission for Mountain Emergency Medicine (ICAR MEDCOM). High Altitude Medicine and Biology. 2018;19(2):131–140.Google ScholarPubMed
De Roulet, A, Inaba, K, Strumwasser, A, et al. Severe injuries associated with skiing and snowboarding: a national trauma data bank study. J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2017;82(4):781–786.Google ScholarPubMed