Incidence of tibial fracture in child skiers

Skiing is an increasingly popular sport amongst both adults and children. Opportunities for skiing within the United Kingdom are limited, but the introduction of increasing numbers of dry ski slopes has made the sport more available. The nature of injuries sustained by adults on snow and dry slopes is well documented, but this is less true of childhood injury, especially on dry slopes. A consecutive series of 92 patients with skiing injuries is presented. Both dry slope and snow slope injuries are included. The incidence of tibial fracture in children was ten times that of adults. The nature of all injuries sustained during the study period is documented, the childhood tibial fractures are described in detail, and possible aetiological factors are discussed.