News About Skiing and Knee Injury
As the anticipation of the first run down the mountain nears, ski enthusiasts of all levels should be preparing their knees and legs to reduce their chances incurring a skiing related injury. Please read on below for more background for a story about one of the most common ski related injuries to the ACL. Let your readers learn first from you about why injury to the ACL is common for skiers, how to reduce the risks of this kind of injury, how to know if you have experienced an ACL injury and what to do if you do injury your ACL.
This is a timely news subject as the ski season opens. Please let me know if this is news you are interested in covering or if it fits in with a larger story on preventing skiing and/or sports related injury. I am happy to hook you up with a leading sports orthopaedist and official orthopaedic surgeon for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard teams.
Greenwich, CT & New York, NY (PRWEB) November 24, 2004 -- For ski enthusiasts anticipating another exciting season on the slopes, preparations usually include buying lift tickets and readying equipment. But experts warn that too many skiers are leaving a critical task off of their To-Do lists: preparing their legs and knees for an injury-free season.
According to Kevin Plancher, MD, a leading sports orthopaedist in the New York metropolitan area and official orthopaedic surgeon for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard teams, injury to the anterior cruciate ligament -- the ACL -- is one of the most common ski-related knee injuries. In addition, even as overall ski-related injury numbers have decreased over the past two decades, ACL injuries have been on the rise -- accounting for more than a quarter of all reported ski-related injuries each year.
The Anterior Cruciate Ligament is the more prominent of the two ligaments that connect the femur (thigh bone) with the tibia (shin bone) beneath the kneecap. Under ski conditions the ACL is most likely to be pulled either partially away from the femur or tears in half. This occurs while skiing because of short and fast decelerations or a turn at a sharp angle. Ski-related ACL injuries usually are sustained in one of three ways:
- An out-of control, off-balance or falling skier attempting to either regain cover control or sit down to recover may suffer a 'Phantom foot' injury. The knee twists and bends in flexion and internal rotation, forcing the shinbone forward onto the thighbone and causing trauma to the ACL.
- A direct hit to the lower leg from behind, often from an out of control skier, can also result in an ACL injury.
- Injury can also occur during jumps, particularly when the landing is off balance with the knee extended. The tail of the ski hits the ground first, forcing the back of the boot against the calf, pushing the shinbone forward, and tearing the ACL. The last run of the day and often on Catwalks, is the most common place for a knee injury.
Three Steps to Avoid Injury
According to Dr. Plancher, avoiding injury is a step-by-step process. There are a few different ways to reduce risk," he explains. The more you do to prepare for the ski season, the more your risk will be reduced." He recommends:
- Purchasing or renting equipment that is appropriate for both your size and your skill level. Be honest with yourself about your capabilities," he urges.
- Selecting appropriate trails, and correcting poor skiing techniques. Again, be honest with yourself about your abilities. Take a quick lesson or evaluation from resort staff before you ski, if you want an experts advice about which hills to try... and which ones to avoid."
- Staying aware and alert on the slopes. Avoid skiers who are engaging in risky behavior, such as alcohol use or trick skiing, and dont engage in these activities yourself. Stay on well-lit, well-patrolled trails, so that youll have access to trained resort professionals if you do fall."
Prehabilitation" is the Name of the Game
As a surgeon working with the U.S. Ski and Snowboard teams, Dr. Plancher notes that several physical therapists have coined a new phrase for the season: prehabilitation. Skiers who begin isolating, enhancing flexibility and strengthening the leg muscles before ski season -- and who continue that regimen throughout ski season, may find themselves less prone to ski-related knee injuries," Dr. Plancher says. A prehab" routine should include:
- Exercises that focus on a full range of motions: front-to-back, side-to-side, and circular
- Movements like squats or lunges, which strengthen leg muscles, as well as exercises that target the bodys large core" muscles of the spine, rear and abdomen
- Flexibility and endurance regimens, such as yoga and walking, wallsits and 1/3 knee bends
No Guarantees
No prehabilitation program can guarantee an injury-free ski season," Dr. Plancher explains. Thats why its important for skiers in particular, who are often injured far from immediate medical help, to know the signs of an ACL injury." If you experience any of these symptoms, Dr. Plancher advises that you dont try to move. Instead flag down ski patrol:
- A popping" sound as the knee twists or bends"
- Immediate searing pain, followed by a dull, painful sensation in the knee
- Swelling around the knee by the evening on the day of the injury
- Difficulty bearing weight on the knee
What are the Treatment Options?
According to Dr. Plancher, the two main options for treating ACL injuries are conservative treatment and/or operative reconstruction. However, several studies have suggested that, in the long run for active individuals, reconstruction is far more successful. In his long-term study of 72 patients who underwent reconstructive surgery following an ACL injury that was rated either a C" or a D" preoperatively, Plancher noted: Seventy of the 72 patients (96%) knees were graded either an A" or a B" after the surgery, and all of the patients expressed satisfaction with the results of the reconstruction." (Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery of America, 1998 Feb;80(2):184-97). www.plancherortho.com
Bio:
Kevin D. Plancher, M.D., M.S., F.A.C.S., F.A.A.O.S, is a leading orthopaedic surgeon and sports medicine expert with extensive practice in knee, elbow, shoulder and hand injuries. Dr.Plancher is an Associate Clinical Professor in Orthopaedics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in NY. He is on the Editorial Review Board of the Journal of American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the American Journal of Sports Medicine, and is a reviewer for the Arthroscopy Journal.
A graduate of Georgetown University School of Medicine, Dr.Plancher received an M.S. in Physiology and an M.D. from their school of medicine (cum laude). He did his residency at Harvard's combined Orthopaedic program and a Fellowship at the Steadman-Hawkins clinic in Vail, Colorado where he studied shoulder and knee reconstruction. Dr.Plancher continued his relationship with the Clinic for the next six years as a Consultant. Dr. Plancher has been a team physician for over 15 athletic teams, including high school, college and national championship teams. Dr.Plancher is an attending physician at Beth Israel Hospital in New York City and The Stamford Hospital in Stamford, CT and has offices in Manhattan and Greenwich, Connecticut.
Dr.Plancher lectures extensively domestically and internationally on issues related to Orthopaedic procedures and injury management. During 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 Dr.Plancher was named among the Top Doctors in the New York Metro area and was the New York State Representative for the Council of Delegates to the American Academy of Orthopaedic surgeons. For the past six years Dr.Plancher has received the Order of Merit (Magnum Cum Laude) for distinguished Philanthropy in the Advancement of Orthopaedic Surgery by the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation. In 2001, he founded "The Orthopaedic Foundation for Active Lifestyles", a non-profit foundation focused on maintaining and enhancing the physical well-being of active individuals through the development and promotion of research and supporting technologies. www.plancherortho.com.
A Knee Injury Primer for Before, During and After Ski Season: Sports orthopaedist Kevin Plancher, MD on preventing, dealing with ski-related ACL injuries
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