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Changing patterns in tibial fractures resulting from skiing.
Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research
|March 1, 1987
Summary
Tibial fracture rates from skiing have significantly declined, particularly spiral fractures. However, transverse and short oblique fractures are increasing, suggesting current safety equipment needs redesign to prevent these injuries.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedics
- Sports Medicine
- Traumatology
Background:
- Tibial fractures are common injuries in skiing.
- Understanding fracture patterns and healing is crucial for injury prevention and treatment.
- Historical data provides a baseline for evaluating trends in skiing-related injuries.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the incidence and characteristics of adult tibial fractures in skiers.
- To compare fracture patterns and healing rates over time.
- To assess the effectiveness of current safety equipment and suggest improvements.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 734 adult tibial fractures treated between 1968-1978.
- Follow-up data obtained on 527 patients (72%).
- Comparison with tibial fractures from 1982-1984 to identify trends.
Main Results:
- Overall tibial fracture rate declined from 12.9 to 2.9 per 100,000 skier days between 1968 and 1983.
- Spiral fractures decreased from 70% to 50% of total fractures.
- Transverse fractures remained stable, while short oblique fractures increased from 11% to 33%.
Conclusions:
- Skiing-related tibial fractures have decreased, largely due to a reduction in spiral fractures.
- Increased incidence of transverse and short oblique fractures suggests current safety bindings are insufficient.
- A redesign of ski release bindings may be necessary to protect against these fracture types.