The end of a skier's career is a medal, but the end of your skiing career may be a hospital...

With the Winter Olympics being held, ice and snow sports have become popular. Tomorrow is the weekend, are you planning to go skiing or skating?

Skiing, Image source: pixabay

However, if you decide to go skiing, be careful.

For athletes, the end goal of skiing is medals, but for ordinary people (I'm talking about you), the end goal of skiing may be orthopedics.

Well, I'm Gu Ailing, you are a bone lover...

Skiing is really dangerous...if you are not careful you will become a laughing stock and fall flat on your face.

A survey shows that the incidence of moderate injuries caused by ice and snow sports in my country is about 25% to 35%. Common fracture sites include wrist, ankle, knee, clavicle, shoulder and waist.

A screenshot of a group chat of a group of people recovering from injuries during the snow season is circulating online.

If you like skiing, you really need to protect yourself and others, especially your ankles.

Are ankle injuries common?

More common than you think...

Research on athletes shows that the ankle joint is the most vulnerable part of the human body to injury, and skiing, ice hockey and football are the sports most likely to cause ankle injuries. About 18% of cases are caused by snow sports.

The situation of ordinary people is even worse. Jilin Province conducted a large-scale survey covering 8 ski resorts and 388 skiers. The results showed that a total of 102 people were injured while skiing, accounting for 26.29% of the injuries. Among them, ankle and knee injuries were the most common, reaching 35.85%. Back injuries, which many people are concerned about, were not so common, accounting for only 13.21%.

The forces on the human body when skiing, image source: pxhere

Why is it possible to injure your ankle while skiing?

There are two reasons for this. One is the structure of the ankle joint itself, and the other is the characteristics of skiing.

A joint is like a pivot; its stability depends on the contact between the two parts and the surrounding fixtures.

The articular surface of the ankle joint is very special, wide in the front and narrow in the back. When flexed, the wider front part fits into the socket of the contact surface, and the joint can remain stable; when extended, the narrower back part acts as the articular surface, and the stability decreases. Therefore, most ankle injuries occur when the foot is extended, such as when walking downstairs, going downhill, or landing while skiing.

On the other hand, the joint capsule around the ankle joint is weak and loose, and the fixation of the joint depends largely on the surrounding ligaments. The medial ligament is OK and tough enough; the lateral ligament is composed of three discontinuous ligaments and is very fragile, increasing the possibility of ankle injury.

The inner and outer sides of the ankle joint. Image source: Anatomy of sports injuries

Furthermore, under normal circumstances, we can coordinate the movements of the whole body through various joints. However, when skiing, the ski boots firmly fix the ankle joints on the skis, which is not in line with daily habits and reduces the flexibility of the ankle joints. If the ski boots are not suitable, the pressure on the ankle joints is too great and may even affect the contraction of the muscles. These will reduce the adaptability of the ankle joints and increase the probability of ankle injuries.

Snowshoes, Image source: pxhere

What should you do if you encounter an ankle injury?

1. Prevention without injury

First of all, although skiing is exciting and fun, it is not suitable for everyone. Before deciding to go skiing, you must ask yourself whether you have any acute or serious illness, flat feet, or other conditions that are not suitable for skiing. Secondly, before any exercise, you must warm up thoroughly.

For skiing, first, you need to stretch your muscles appropriately to increase muscle flexibility; second, you can try standing on one leg to improve the stability of your ankle joint; third, learn to choose the right shoes. The shoes must fit your feet. If necessary, you can try them on several times and simulate skiing to see if there is any discomfort. Finally, before exercising, you must pay attention to mastering the essentials of the exercise. After exercising, don't rush to rest, but relax your muscles and move your joints like professional athletes.

Prevention of ankle injuries, Image source: self-made by the author

2. Actively treat injuries

Ankle injuries are divided into two categories: ligament sprain and fracture, with the former being more common. Based on clinical manifestations, there are three levels; and when treating, the RICER principle can be followed.

Ankle sprain classification, Image source: Author's own

R stands for rest. Once you are injured, stop exercising immediately. I stands for ice compress. In the first two days after the injury, you can wrap ice cubes in a towel and apply it to the injured part according to your feeling. C stands for pressure bandage to fix the injured part. E stands for raising the affected part above the level of the heart, which is beneficial for blood return and reduces bleeding and swelling. The last R stands for professional treatment plan. When the condition is serious, you must go to the hospital for medical treatment in time.

In short, exercise is a good thing. Recent studies have shown that maintaining 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week is important for preventing Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular disease, and even delaying aging. However, when exercising, you must pay attention to your own protection and minimize sports injuries.

References:

[1]LIN CF, GROSS MT, WEINHOLD P. Ankle Syndesmosis Injuries: Anatomy, Biomechanics, Mechanism of Injury, and Clinical Guidelines for Diagnosis and Intervention[J]. Journal of Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 2006, 36(6): 372–384.

[2]DEL BUONO A, FLORIO A, BOCCANERA MS, et al. Syndesmosis injuries of the ankle [J]. Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine, 2013, 6(4): 313–319.

[3] Xie Jingchun, Si Changli. Investigation and study on sports injuries of mass skiers in Jilin Province[J]. Ice and Snow Sports, 2011, 33(03): 32–35.

[4] Bai Shuling, Ding Wenlong. Systemic Anatomy (9th Edition)[M]. People's Medical Publishing House, 2018.

[5] Zang Kecheng, Liu Yang, Lu Guohui (eds.). Ice and snow sports injuries and protection[M]. Chemical Industry Press, 2018.

[6] Li Ye. Issues that should be paid attention to in primary alpine skiing teaching [J]. Ice and Snow Sports, 2013, 35(05): 70–72.

[7] Brad Walker. Anatomy of Sports Injuries[M]. Beijing Sport University Press, 2013.

[8] Jordan D. Metzl, Claire Kovalic. Prevention and Recovery of Running Injuries[M]. Posts and Telecommunications Press, 2017.

Review expert: Wang Linjue, deputy chief physician of the Department of Orthopedics, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

END

Review expert: Wang Linjue: Associate Chief Physician of Orthopedics Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

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