Most common skiing injuries.

[skinut]

The question is: What body part have you injured the most frequently while skiing?

[Chuck_Dickey]

Lower back monster bites me the most. Found an exercise call the Founder that is helping strengthen my lower back.

 

[JC McCavit]

What about elbow?

[The_MS]

Ear drum

[tsixam]

Lower back has been a problem for years. But since I started to do crossfit regularly last year the back problem is totally gone! Other injuries are sprained ankles, sore elbows, some cuts and a ruined knee (jumping).

Tsixam

 

[mellig]

More of a compounding pain as the ski season goes on... Likely a little age is the issue.

[Texas6]

Second for elbows!!!

[Horton]

what about testicles?

[RazorRoss3]

When I'm around other college skiers I can complain about a sprained back that made the last month or so hard to ski, when I log on here I quickly realize it could be so much worse.

 

Can I just stay in my twenties forever and keep my mostly pain free body?

[9400]

Everyone on the list at least once (except the spine) plus eardrum and elbow.

[Waternut]

Wouldn't elbow fall under arm?

 

I said back (muscle) because I seem to pull it regularly but I think elbow/arm injuries are fairly common as well. Although, my elbow injuries have massively decreased since I started using the Theraband flexbar.

 

If you were to ask which injury is most common to you not being able to ski, I would say broken ribs with ankle injuries second.

[skinut]

Arm and elbow are the same. As are head and ear drum. The survey program won't allow for more selections, otherwise I could have added several more.

[wilecoyote]

I voted for ankle, but I've been out for nearly 6 weeks due to a knee injury. My buddy will never ski again after shattering his knee.

[Texas6]

Can you sprain a testicle or does it need to be broken to count?

[Razorskier1]

I would add back, spine. I ruptured a disc in my low back a number of years ago skiing, and I also had surgery on my neck. All the rest is more aches and pains than actual injuries.

[LakeOneSkier]

A sprain counts only if you do not ski tournaments, broken only counts if you do. (sorry, could not resist. :-) )

 

Shoulder is my most common area of injury.

[Than_Bogan]

Grand total of 3 herniated discs over my career are the injuries that have cost me the most skiing time.

 

But my most frequent injury is definitely shoulder. Still learning when to let go...

[Marco]

Too bad you can only vote for one. Ruptered achilles ('09) and dislocated shoulder ('10) were the 2 surgeries I have had as a result from skiing. Regarding shoulders, I don't take slack hits anymore, not even in tournaments. Last year I had a tournament PB beaten by 1 buoy and was on my way to 4 ball for at least a buoy and a half, but I dropped the handle at the wakes instead of trying to hold onto a big slack hit to get around 4 ball.

[skinut]

@Texas6-Nut Sprains count, a nut break trumps all other injuries. ; P

[Gloersen]

Achilles tendon

Forehead flesh wounds

[JWebSki]

I just had to get stitches on my shin.

[Porkfight]

^^^^ or ear drum.

[jackski]

Shoulders torn three times but I think I've sprained everything at least once.

[oldjeep]

Is your pride a body part?

[jipster43]

I've torn a rotator cuff, sprained ankles multiple times (never bad enough to miss any turns), pulled muscles in my back, tweaked ribs, and broken an ankle. All in the last three years. I use nearly every piece of safety equipment I can get my hands on!

[Andy]

Disk at L5 S1.

[DLskier]

Add another shoulder to the list. Dislocated early August but luckily I am back skiing with a brace. All this after a L5/S1 microdiskectomy in February. Trying to treat the shoulder with aggressive rehab in an attempt to forgo surgery in the off season.

[OTF]

I second the pride/ ego

[SBFL]

I havent broke anything yet, but i got ankel, back, shoulders, whiplash, brused ribs, knees and bug in the eyes

[A_B]

I read arm as elbows and biceps. Elbow problem knocked me out of skiing for two seasons and get bicep strains a lot.

[RLW]

I have fractured both ankles (same fall), fractured my proximal humerus (shoulder), strained my shoulder, sustained a concussion and sustained a severe arm contusion (arm through handle). I've been lucky and recovered fully from all the above. I have operated on several skiers with shoulder (labral tears) and knee injuries (meniscus) and one with a distal biceps tear (at elbow). I should also note that I wrote a chapter on water skiing injuries for a book years ago. Surprisingly, despite all the injuries noted in this thread, our sport is relatively safe. Like all sports though, injuries are likely underreported.

[RLW]

My most recent injury was a minor proximal humerus fracture (shoulder) sustained at the Eastern Regionals this year. I am curious if anyone else has fractured their shoulder skiing. Labral tears and rotator cuff tears are much more common.

[BCM]

Slalom - ankles, I've lost 10* or so of movement in my front ankle, my back is often sore, but for me it is a conditioning issue not an injury

Trick - dislocated a rib a few years ago, trick falls are the worst, headaches are common

Jump - all of the above plus pocket book and marriage... I strained a hamstring about 5 years ago and things still aren't right with the entire leg...

 

The wife is not a fan of the jumping although I am a much safer jumper today than when we met in college, since we met I learned that you can pass... When it came to jumping in college I was a special kind of stupid.

[gategator]

Since the question is most "common", skier's elbow has to be at the top of my list since it comes just about every June and doesn't leave until October. If the question was most "enduring and disruptive", the answer would be ankle. Busted mine 2006 and its still screwed up. If it wasn't for my Stealths, (and before that my Goode hardboots), I would be on the dock watching.

[Joeprunc]

x2 MY PRIDE

[Jody_Seal]

@Skinut You missed one option.... Hurt Ego!!

[Brewski]

Shoulder needs to be added on the list...it got me this season.

[Texas6]

@RLW, how did you fracture your shoulder? I have torn my labrum after stuffing the tip right behind the boat, but a fracture seems far less likely. Wow

[RLW]

@Texas6 I came around 6 at 32 off and ski slid out scoring 1/4 buoy. My arm hyperabducted (out to side above head level), and the humeral head (ball of shoulder joint) impacted the undersurface of the acromion (bone above shoulder). It caused a slight impaction fracture of the top of the humeral head where one of the rotator cuff tendon attaches. The fracture was stable and I was lucky not to tear my rotator cuff. My injury was technically a fracture, but not the typical fracture that an orthopedic doc thinks of when hearing "proximal humerus fracture." Labral tears like you had are certainly much more common in my experience evaluating patients with shoulder injuries from skiing. We sure stress our shoulders a lot in this sport!

[JohnCox]

Voted arm, meaning elbow(s). Last 3 years, elbows have been a problem.

 

Also destroyed my ankle back in 2010. But my elbows hurt now!

[Golfguy]

I have brushed my ribs when a rope broke. Any thoughts on recovery? Should I keep skiing even though I can feel the ribs moving, popping in my chest. They will move but I don't feel super pain.

 

Thanks for any comments.

[Orlando76]

The only injury I've sustained so far has been a sprained sternum. But like Horton said, the jewels feel ripped open a couple times a season with OTF's.

[Chef23]

I have had back issues and elbow issues. My son had a concussion slaloming a couple of years ago.

[jetpilotg4]

Heres one you should not try at home .... Hand through handle fall, strained radial nerve around the brachial plexus area in my shoulder.... ( similar to Carson Palmers Injury )14 months ago , still only have 80% ( up from roughly 50%) use of left hand ( no more guitar playing ) just now returning to working out and occasional skiing. Not bad for 25 + years of skiing though .....

[Greg Lukin]

foot - I voted this as ankle... also I have had elbow pain all season - can ski but try to use a hammer and OUCH!!

 

[skialex]

once in 16 years.

[Alberto Soares]

1 - Back muscle many times, in the last years have not suffer from it - usually 1 week out

 

2 - Rib, broke once and stayed there, my right side is lower than my left - 1 month out

 

3 - Neck, bad OTF, rubber double bindings - 2 months out

 

4 - Front knee, the cable laced the ski after a bad turn and pull my knee laterally - 1 month out

 

5 - Front leg, 2nd degree sprained back muscle - 2 months out, back leg out of the ski, front leg stayed a bit longer than it should - reflex/r-style

 

Obs: No surgery. Considering I skied about 7500 sets in the last 25 years, this is not a bad statistic

 

 

[skinut11]

does this count? I don't ski tournaments anymore. Also ribs (3) and eardrums (2) all broken

 

[skiinxs]

Well, if you are going by frequency, it has to be lower back, which always gets better with rest after it goes into spasm. There are also the eight surgeries: Right shoulder rotator cuff and Labrum twice 9 years apart, same thing on left shoulder once. Right elbow twice, first bone spur related, second time pulled the triceps off. Left elbow spur that had sawed through the tendon. Right and left knee miniscus tears and repairs. Wow, when I write it all down I sound like a train wreck:)

[LLUSA]

I guessing

#1 Lower back L-4-5 S1, I've had 4 surgeries finally successful

#2 Shoulders Both Rotator cuffs, torn bicep, torn labrium

#3 Neck Fusion C-5-6

#4 Knee Scopes on both

#5 Elbow Bursa explodes now I need the other one done

#6 Great Toe; Rods kicking it into hard shell

#7 Fingers Tendon Tears

#8 Cracked Teeth

#9 Periformis Release almost like hip replacement

#10 Hip Replacement