Ski Patrol Research Articles

Spinal injuries in skiers and snowboarders.

Spinal injuries are among the most devastating injuries associated with recreational sports. Snowboarding spinal injury patterns have not been described. During two seasons (1994 to 1995 and 1995 to 1996), 34 skiers and 22 snowboarders suffered serious spinal injuries (fracture or neurologic deficit or both) at two ski areas in British Columbia, Canada. Ski patrol records, the Provincial Trauma Database, and hospital records were reviewed. Injury rates were based on computerized lift-ticket data and a population estimate of 15% snowboarders (ski patrol observation). The incidence of spinal injury among skiers was 0.01 per 1000 skier-days, and among snowboarders was 0.04 per 1000 snowboarder-days. Mean age was 34.5 years for skiers and 22.4 years for snowboarders. Seventy percent of the skiers were men, whereas all of the snowboarders were men. Jumping (intentional jump > 2 meters) was the cause of injury in 20% of skiers and 77% of snowboarders. Neither age nor sex accounted for any significant portion of this difference. The rate of spinal injuries among snowboarders is fourfold that among skiers. Although jumping is the primary cause of injury, it is an intrinsic element of snowboarding. Until research defines effective injury-prevention strategies, knowledge of the risk of snowboarding should be disseminated and techniques for safe jumping should be taught.

Teaching wilderness emergency care.

In the 16 years since it was founded, the Wilderness Medical Society has sponsored many educational activities and supported training in wilderness emergency care with its journal and other publications. In this issue, we introduce a new section for instructors, program developers, and others who are interested in how wilderness emergency care training works. For many years, I have been teaching, training instructors, developing programs, and writing articles about wilderness topics, especially emergency care. Most of what I do is volunteer work for the American Red Cross, National Ski Patrol, and Wilderness Medical Society. I plan to write a column for each issue myself, but will also welcome articles from other instructors who wish to share practical ideas and techniques for teaching wilderness emergency care.

Skiing and snowboarding injuries in the children and adolescents of Southern Alberta.

To identify injuries and profile the characteristics of injured skiers and snowboarders younger than 18 years of age in Southern Alberta, Canada. Case-series over one year. Injured skiers and snowboarders younger than 18 years of age presenting to the ski patrol members at each of seven ski areas in Southern Alberta. Information on injured individuals reporting to the ski patrol at the involved areas was documented on a standardized injury reporting form. Anonymous information was then copied and sent to the University of Calgary Sport Medicine Centre, where the data were analyzed. Proportions of injured skiers and snowboarders with specific characteristics or participating in specific environmental conditions are presented. There were a total of 832 (60.0%) injury reports filed for skiers and 557 (40.1%) for snowboarders, reflecting 1,635 separate injuries. Head injuries were the most frequently reported (19.1% of all regional injuries). The most commonly injured region was the knee among skiers (n = 213; 22.8%) and the wrist among snowboarders (n = 173; 27.8%). Lower extremity injuries in skiers and upper extremity injuries in snowboarders were most common. Younger male skiers and snowboarders reported high proportions of head, neck, and back injuries. The lower extremity in skiers and the upper extremity in snowboarders were most susceptible to injury. A cause for concern is the high proportion of head injuries reported for both male skiers and snowboarders of younger age groups. Further study into protective equipment design and function is required.

A DENDROGEOMORPHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF SNOW AVALANCHES IN THE COLORADO FRONT RANGE, USA

Despite the growing risk of avalanche-related death and property damage associated with the burgeoning tourist industry in the Colorado Front Range, no dendro-geomorphological studies have been conducted to assess avalanche history in this region. In this study, dendrogeomorphological techniques are used to develop avalanche event chronologies and to reconstruct past slide magnitude at two sites located near Loveland Pass. At Mount Bethel, historical data compiled by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the Westwide Data Network for the period between 1974 and 1996 corroborate four of eight dendrochronologically dated event years. At Grizzly Peak, four of five dendrochronologically determined event years occurring between 1981 and 1996 are supported by historical data kept by CDOT, the Westwide Data Network and the Arapaho Basin Ski Patrol. Avalanche path reconstruction and the examination of vegetative indicator species reveal periodic fluctuations in slide magnitude at both sites, suggesting that larger avalanches have run outside the present tracks multiple times. The chronicling and assessment of each path's slide history informs of past occurrences and alerts us to future risks. [Key words: avalanche, dendrogeomorphology, Colorado Front Range.]

Emergency nursing and ski patrol: A partnership to improve patient outcomes

Emergency nursing and ski patrol: A partnership to improve patient outcomes

Demographics of alpine skiing and snowboarding injury: lessons for prevention programs.

To establish the demographics of ski injury in relation to age, gender, and perceived cause during a representative season to identify potential injury prevention strategies. Blackcomb Mountain, a world class ski resort in British Columbia, Canada. Data were collected from the lift ticket records and from ski patrol injury reports for one season, November to May 1991-2. There were 720,066 skier and snowboarder day visits counted by the mountain's lift ticket records, with a total of 2,092 injury reports (incidence 2.91 per 1,000 day visits). Of those with significant injuries (those requiring physician care), 1,210 (58%) were male. The highest injury rate was among children (age 7-12) and teens (age 13-17) with incidences of 3.18 and 3.34 significant injuries per 1,000 skier days, respectively. Head and face injuries constituted 17% and 22% of injuries, respectively in these groups. Overall 22% of head and face injuries were severe enough to cause loss of consciousness or clinical signs of concussion. This was the body region injured most frequently in males. For females over 7 years of age, the knee was the most common site of injury. For youths, the incidence of injuries during school organized activities was 25% higher than during other outings. The vulnerability of school group participants suggests special education is warranted. The high incidence of head injuries, particularly among young males, needs to be addressed. In light of the high proportion of this group who already wear helmets, the role of helmets in both protection and possible causation of head injury needs objective research.

Closed Reduction of an Everted Patella

A 29-year-old woman was struck from behind while skiing, sustaining a blow to her back that threw her into the air, at which time she heard a "pop" in her left knee before hitting the ground. She arrived at the base facility clinic in acute distress with the ski patrol report of a kneecap dislocation.

Deep Snow Immersion Deaths.

In brief Three snowboarders died in separate but nearly identical accidents after becoming buried head down in deep snow. After extricating each patient, the ski patrol immediately began cardiopulmonary resuscitation. On arrival at the emergency department, each patient was asystolic, apneic, cold, and stiff. Vigorous resuscitation and active rewarming were not successful in reviving the patients. These deaths indicate a need for education about the hazards of deep powder, tree wells, and snowboarding outside groomed areas. Equipment changes might also contribute to the sport's safety.

The role of a regional trauma system in the management of a mass disaster: an analysis of the Keystone, Colorado, chairlift accident.

On December 14, 1985, the Teller chairlift at the Keystone, Colorado, ski area collapsed, throwing 60 of the 372 people aboard to the ground from heights up to 50 feet. Initial triage and management of the victims was carried out by the local ski patrol, the on-duty physician at the area's Snake River Health Services Clinic, and by volunteer physicians and nurses present at the scene. Thirty-three people required immediate evacuation to hospitals, most of them being transported 75 miles by helicopter air ambulance to level I and II trauma centers in the Denver metropolitan area. Eighteen of these air-evacuated patients were in serious or critical condition. Less seriously injured victims were treated at local medical facilities. The scene evacuation was carried out by helicopter and ground vehicles in accordance with an existing disaster plan coordinated by the Colorado Trauma Institute (CTI). The unique problems posed by a mass casualty incident in a remote mountain location are emphasized by this tragedy. Patient salvage due to the efficacy of a regionally organized trauma system is clearly demonstrated.

Prevention of Head Injuries in Skiing: Mechanisms, Experimental Study, and Prevention

Fortunately, most falls in downhill skiing do not cause noteworthy trauma. Accidents do occur, however, and keep ski patrol members, physicians, and hospitals in major winter-sport areas busy throughout the ski season. This fact is documented by half of the 66 references cited in this book. Prior to the late 1970s, reports of severe head injuries were rare. But in recent years, as the author clearly shows, the risk of severe trauma to the head has greatly increased. According to a cited statistical survey of skiing accidents in the Tyrolean Alps, covering the period from 1981 to 1983, injuries to the limbs have decreased from 72.4% to 62.8% while injuries to the shoulder have risen from 2.3% to 11.4% and those to the head from 10.6% to 12.2%. The improvements in boot and ski binding design are mentioned as a contributing factor in reducing injuries to the extremities while, on

Skiing accidents

Medical Journal of AustraliaVolume 143, Issue 3 p. 128-129 Letter to the Editor Skiing accidents Nickel Crombie FFARACS, Nickel Crombie FFARACS Medical Adviser Australian Ski Patrol AssociationSearch for more papers by this author Nickel Crombie FFARACS, Nickel Crombie FFARACS Medical Adviser Australian Ski Patrol AssociationSearch for more papers by this author First published: 01 August 1985 https://doi.org/10.5694/j.1326-5377.1985.tb122852.xAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume143, Issue3August 1985Pages 128-129 RelatedInformation

Representative noise levels of snow making, slope grooming, and other ski area equipment

In the process of producing the environmental noise assessment for a major expansion of the Mt. Wachusett (MA) ski area, noise data for ski area equipment were collected. Modern ski areas are highly mechanized. Snow making equipment includes large air compressors and snow guns or other air/water dispersal devices. Slopes and trails are groomed by special tractors towing various rollers, plows, scrapers, etc. to provide well‐packed mogul‐free surfaces. Much of the snow making and grooming activities take place at night. By day snowmobiles are used to transport the ski patrol to serious accidents and mechanics to repair stalled lifts. Construction of new ski trails requires additional, typically loud equipment such as chain saws, log skidders, wood chippers, bulldozers, etc. In the rural environment of ski areas these activities can exceed ambient noise at considerable distances. Furthermore, the trend to overnight accommodations for skiers directly on ski hills requires consideration of such equipment noise.

Skiing at Camp Hale: Mountain Troops during World War II

n May 1943 the Denver Pigeon Club donated some of it finest fowl to the United States Army's 10th Light Infantry Division at Camp Hale, Colorado. Proud to be making a practical contribution to the war effort, the club's president explained, Pigeons are extremely reliable in carrying messages. They travel faster than forty miles an hour and can cover over five hundred miles a day.' At the same time, base commanders were delighted to receive such a simple solution to the vexing problem of communicating with troops separated by mountains. Only one thing went wrong. Camp Hale was located at 9,200 feet above sea level and pigeons cannot fly at that altitude.2 Thus the birds-like the men at the base-spent their active duty waddling through frozen mud, suffering from twenty-below-zero temperatures and doing little to defeat the fascists. The story of Camp Hale began inauspiciously and far from Colorado.3 In February 1939 the Hochbirge Ski Club of Boston held its annual winter outing at Big Bromley Mountain, Vermont. After one of the day's activities, some members congregated before a log fire in a local inn. Included were C. Minot (Minnie) Dole of the National Ski Patrol and Roger Langley of the National Ski Association. According to Dole in his autobiography, Adventures in Skiing, the conversation inevitably turned to the Russo-Finnish War, which was then in progress.4 Both men applauded especially the tactics of the Finnish troops. Dressed in white uniforms to match the backdrop of snow, the Finns glided quietly on long, narrow skis through forests to attack the Russians moving along plowed roads. Then, after surprising the Russians at a point Jack A. Benson is a public school teacher at Cherry Creek High School, Englewood,

The National Ski Patrol

The National Ski Patrol

Winter Sports Hazards

<h3>To the Editor:—</h3> The article on snowmobile injuries (<b>209</b>:1672, 1969) by Chism and Soule evokes another facet of the problem which needs emphasis. This is the need for training in winter survival, winter first aid techniques, and hazard recognition. In Montana during the past winter, a man and his son died after their snowmobile fell through the ice on Yellowtail Reservoir. Another serious problem is avalanche hazard. The National Ski Patrol System has developed a slide lecture on avalanche hazard which members are happy to present at meetings of snowmobile organizations. Those of us who are experienced in ski touring are aghast at the potential problems posed by large numbers of untrained individuals in poor physical condition, many miles from assistance.

INFLATABLE SPLINT FOR SKI INJURIES.

DURING the past three winters, the Sun Valley Medical Department has tested modifications of an inflatable splint for the handling of skiing casualties. An average of 800 ski injuries are treated each winter at the Sun Valley Village Hospital. Of these accident victims, somewhat more than 100 are transported by the Sun Valley Ski Patrol. The majority of these require the application of a splinting device. The ideal splint for skiing injuries should have the following properties: It should, obviously and foremost, provide adequate support to the injured part; it should be simple to apply, even by untrained personnel, and it should be comfortable. The splint should be mechanically uncomplicated, reliable, durable, and reusable; it should be universal, ie, applicable to any size extremity. It must function properly in extremes of temperature and altitude; and it should be radiolucent so that it need not be removed while the injured part

Ski Patrol

Ski Patrol

Ski Patrols on Trails and Slopes

Ski Patrols on Trails and Slopes