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A fall while skiing or snowboarding may result in a serious injury - its quick recovery is often determined by what we do a few minutes after the unfortunate event. How to recognize an injury and what to do right after an accident so as not to hurt yourself more? See step-by-step instructions and advice from Dr. Krzesimir Sieczych, an orthopedist from the Carolina Medical Center.

Contents:

  1. Ski injuries - how to exclude a fracture?
  2. Ski injuries - when is a cold compress?
  3. Ski injuries - when to an ER?
  4. Ski injuries - fracture
  5. Ski injuries - when to call for help?
  6. Ski injuries - when to see an orthopedist?
  7. Ski injuries - when is surgery necessary?

Skiing injuriesor snowboarding injuries most often concern injuries to the knee and ankle joints as well as fractures. It happens that afteran accident on the slopeit is difficult for us to recognize the type of injury we are dealing with; The state of post-traumatic shock also does its job, which can block the perception of pain. Therefore, before we get up from skis or boards, even if we feel strong enough - let's follow the steps below to minimize the risk of complications and not to hurt ourselves too much.

Read advice from Dr. Krzesimir Sieczych, an orthopedist from the Carolina Medical Center, what to do after an accident on the slope.

Ski injuries - how to exclude a fracture?

When we fell on the slope, let's first check the legs and arms. Let's check if the limbs are unnaturally bent and if the skin has not been cut. If we can move our hands freely, it is worth touching different parts of the body to check our feeling. All these treatments will help us to exclude a fracture.

Remember that right after the fall, we may still be in a "post-traumatic shock" and we do not immediately feel that something could have happened to us - for example, the same situation applies to victims of car accidents who report see a doctor with symptoms of injury. Additionally, low temperatures outside may cause the first signs of ailments to appear at the earliest after a few hours.

Read: Warm-up on the slope

Ski injuries - when coldwrap?

If nothing hurts us, we can move and get up, we can continue the descent. However, if we start to feel pain while skiing (especially for skiers, this applies to the knee joints), it is best to go down to the resort and apply a cold compress to the sore spot. Immediately after the injury, it is advisable to cool the affected part of the body, rather than heating it, as the cold reduces inflammation and swelling.

On a slope, such a cold compress can be made by pouring snow into a plastic bag. At home, it is enough to wrap the ice cubes in a towel or cotton cloth. A gel wrap (the so-called cool pack) also works well, it is enough to cool it in a freezer. Cold reduces inflammation, which inhibits edema formation and accelerates tissue healing.

Read also: Safety on the ski slope, or the skier's decalogue

Ski injuries - when to an ER?

Cold compress doesn't help, knee still hurts and it's starting to swell? It's not worth the wait any longer, but go to the nearest emergency room as soon as possible. There, the doctors will make the first diagnosis and take an X-ray to rule out or confirm a fracture. In the event of an injury, the doctor will put a cast or refer you to surgery. If the X-ray examination does not confirm the injury and the patient continues to feel pain, the doctor will install a splint, a so-called splint. orthopedic orthosis, which will stiffen the skier's knee joint or snowboarder's wrist, respectively - knee injuries most often affect ski supporters, and snowboard wrist injuries.

Ski injuries - fracture

When going to the mountains, it is worth having with you a simple triangular scarf, from which you can make a sling. If necessary, it will support a broken or dislocated arm, relieving and immobilizing muscles and joints. Ready-made medical slings and splints are also available for sale, which are also used to stiffen broken limbs. When rolled up, the tourist foam rails are the size of a cup, so they fit easily in any backpack.

If we have to dress the broken limb ourselves before reaching the hospital, justput it on a stiff element (e.g. a ski pole or even a piece of branch), and then do not tie it too tight with e.g. a scarf. As a last resort, a broken leg can be tied to another he althy leg - by tying it around the hips, knees, ankles and toes. A broken arm can be placed against the torso and tied in a similar way to keep it still.

The principle of treating a broken limb is very simple:

  • In case of bone fractureswe immobilize two adjacent joints , e.g. when we suspect a fracture of a forearm, we immobilize the wrist and elbow.
  • If we are dealing with a joint injury, we immobilize two adjacent bones , e.g. in the case of a knee joint injury we block the lower leg and thigh.

Never try to forcibly straighten or bend an injured limb, but leave it as it is!

Remember that the main role of immobilization is to secure the limb so that there is no further dislocation and to minimize the pain that may increase with every slightest movement.

This will be useful to you

Ski injuries - when to call for help?

A failed attempt to get up or a feeling of instability such as escaping the knee means that we need help. If we cannot move at all, it may mean that the spine could be injured - fortunately, such serious injuries are statistically the least frequent and most often concern snowboarders or skiers who perform complex stunts in snow parks.

Regardless of whether we are a victim, perpetrator or witness of such an accident, it is always worth having a local emergency number on your phone, to which we will call mountain rescuers when calling. When relaxing in the Polish mountains, please call985or601 100 300 , which will connect you toTOPR andMountain Rescue , you can also dialpan-European emergency number 112 . However, when visiting foreign resorts, especially outside the European Union, it is best to check the local emergency service numbers in advance.

Ski injuries - when to see an orthopedist?

If the pain or swelling persists after a few days, it is absolutely necessary to visit an orthopedist and repeat the tests. In the event of an injury to the knee joint, the doctor will probably order X-ray and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) again to detect damage to the ligaments of the knee joint or menisci. Ultrasound is less often recommended in the case of knee injuries, as this examination is very superficial and does not adequately reflect the menisci and cruciate ligaments of the knee. Instead, it is performed in the event of a wrist injury to evaluate the ligament and triangular cartilage.

It is worth knowing thatthe results of MRI and ultrasound examinations will be reliable only a few days after the event , therefore in ski resorts where first aid is provided to patients, they are usually not performed , basing diagnostics primarily on x-rays. This is due to a simple rule - immediately after the injury, the joints and muscles are severely swollen, thereforeWith MRI or ultrasound available, it is difficult to distinguish which part is stretched and which is broken. After a few days, as the swelling decreases, the result of such a test is more precise.

It is important that patients also pay attention to whether the MRI performed is of good quality - the magnetic field strength in the device should be at least 1.5 Tesla (T), and the device itself should be equipped with a set of coils dedicated to orthopedic examinations .

Worth knowing

Ski injuries - when is surgery necessary?

Serious displaced or trans-articular fractures usually indicate surgery. However, it is not worth fearing the vision of such a procedure, because the condition of each patient is always assessed individually and the final diagnosis and treatment depends on many factors that the doctor will always consider before offering the patient further treatment.

Dr. Krzesimir Sieczych emphasizes: "The most important thing is not to underestimate the pain or swelling. Let's not cover up serious injuries with painkillers just so as not to lose another day of vacation on the slope, because the consequences of such bravado will be even more painful and faster. ".

Source: Carolina Medical Center press materials

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