High Incidence of Injuries Among Adolescent Elite Skiers-A 5-Year Cohort Study

Competitive skiing has gained increasing popularity among adolescent, yet it comes with injury risks. The aim was to determine injury incidence, type and time of injury, localization, and diagnosis, among adolescent competitive skiers (alpine, cross-country, ski-cross, mogul), and to compare between skiing discipline, sex, and high school year. All students (n = 190) enrolled in a ski high school from August 2013 to June 2018 were included. All injuries during the study period were prospectively registered by the physiotherapist at the high school. Demographic and injury data were registered. Absolute injury incidence (injuries/100 skiers) was calculated. In total, 166 (87%) skiers reported 502 injuries, which corresponds to an absolute injury incidence of 264.2 injuries/100 skiers during the 5-year follow-up. A higher injury incidence was shown in school year 1 compared with year 2-4 (131.3 vs. 79.5-98.4; p < 0.05). No differences in injury incidence were found between sex or skiing discipline. Females were more prone of having a gradual-onset injury compared with males (179.3 vs. 96.3; p < 0.001). Mogul skiers had higher incidence of acute injuries compared with the other disciplines (220.0 vs. 71.4-160.0; p < 0.001). The knee was the most common localization across all skiing disciplines, except for cross-country (lower leg). Low back pain was the predominant diagnosis, except in ski-cross (concussion). Skiers attending specialized ski high schools exhibited a significantly high injury incidence, with first-year students being the most susceptible to injuries, across all skiing disciplines and both sexes. While the knee was the most common injury location, concussion was remarkably frequent, particularly among ski-cross skiers.