Adult hand injuries on artificial ski slopes

Artificial ski slope skiing is a popular sport in Great Britain with significant risk of injury. We reviewed 36 patients who had been treated for hand injuries excluding the wrist in our plastic surgery department over a 14-month period after skiing on an artificial ski slope. Specifically, they were 15 fractures of the digits, 3 dislocations of the finger joints, 7 ulnar collateral ligament injuries of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb, and 11 bruises and abrasions. The mean age of the patients was 28 years, and there were 20 men and 16 women. It is concluded that the hardness of the surface of the artificial ski slopes could be responsible for the types of injuries.