Lesson Learned when Researching the Lived Experiences of Young Female Skiers with Knee Injuries

Abstract

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury occurs frequently in the sport of alpine ski racing and research in the mid 90's suggested that female skiers were three times more likely to have an ACL disruption than male counterparts. Interestingly career length was not reported as being reduced because of ACL injury but in fact lengthened. As an undergraduate student pursuing physical therapy and a former ski racer who had knee injuries, I undertook a summer research position that explored the lived experiences of ACL injured racers. PURPOSE: To understand how sustaining an ACL injury was meaningful to the ski racer and their return to sport. METHODS: This study used qualitative research methods; specifically hermeneutic phenomenology and potential participants were contacted through a social networking website. Three female alpine skiers between the ages of 23 and 24 who had sustained an ACL injury and had returned to skiing consented to be interviewed. Interviews were semi-structured, audio-recorded, transcribed and themes were identified using a specialized software program. RESULTS: Injury frustration was high and therefore a strong preference to see surgery as a solution was commonplace. Participants stated they were motivated to recover and described their interactions with doctors and therapists as significant components of their recovery. The most interesting aspect was the variability in injury experience despite all being female, alpine racers and injured during skiing. CONCLUSION: The in-depth qualitative interviews enabled the skiers to describe and define their own lived experiences of ACL injury, treatment, and return to sport. The female ski racers who participated in this study expressed a variety of views and beliefs about their experiences. However, saturation may not have been reached by the end of data collection and therefore it is not known if more themes would have emerged. Remaining unbiased from my own personal experiences as an injured skier proved to be the most difficult part of conducting this research. Yet learning to do this will help me be a better listener as a health care practitioner.