Sustaining Winter Sports Traumatic Brain Injuries. Many people enjoy going to the mountains to engage in winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding. While these are a great source of excitement and enjoyment, they do not come without their risks. The injuries that people can sustain could be quite severe, and some could have life-long ramifications.
Traumatic Injuries Due to Skiing and Snowboarding
Those who have spent time skiing and snowboarding understand that there are numerous severe injuries which can result from a tumble or a fall down a ski slope. For this reason, many people take lessons before trying to do either of these sports on their own for the first time. Some of the traumatic injuries that people could end up with include:
Torn Knee Ligaments: It is possible for people to rip some of the ligaments in their knees, such as the ACL or PCL, while skiing. This could come from hooking their ski around a tree or a signpost while skiing down the mountain. This twisting action can lead over-rotation of the knee and torn ligaments.
Broken Bones: Without a doubt, multiple different bone fractures, such as a femur fracture, can result from skiing or snowboarding. Many people like to take their turn on the halfpipe or try a ski or cliff jump off of one of the slopes. If people do not land properly, the force of the impact can absolutely lead to broken bones which would require surgery.
Traumatic Brain Injury: People can also sustain significant head trauma while trying some of these extreme sports. For this reason, proper safety precautions are required.
Mechanism of Injury: Head and Brain Injuries from Winter Sports
A research team put together a study and review article regarding just how winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding could lead to a traumatic brain injury. Some of the more common mechanisms include:
Trees: While it might come as a surprise to some, trees are actually some of the most common culprits when it comes to head injuries on ski slopes. Where trees exist on the slopes, their leaves often prevent snow from accumulating immediately around the tree base, leading to a “dip” in the snow elevation. This decrease in height can act as a gravity well, sucking in the skis or snowboards that pass near it. This makes it easy for someone to collide with one of these trees which can lead to a brain injury.
Extreme Activities: Extreme activities is the name given to the jumps, tricks, and flips that people often perform on ski slopes. When people perform these jumps, it is possible for them to land on their head or neck instead of their skis or snowboards. If this happens, it is easy to see how someone could sustain significant head trauma.
While the treatment of these injuries is important, the most effective treatment is prevention.
Prevention of Brain Injuries is Key
To prevent these injuries from occurring, there are some safety precautions that skiers and snowboarders should abide by. First, everyone should always wear a helmet. Helmets provide valuable protection for the head against some of these devastating injuries. They could make the difference between a bump and major trauma. Also, those who are skiing or snowboarding should never perform any tricks or jumps that are outside of their skill level. While these tricks may look attractive on TV, they are also dangerous and require significant amounts of training to perform safely. Following these steps can prevent someone from sustaining a life-altering injury.
Watch YouTube Video: Olympic Hopeful Lesley LaMasurier on the Importance of Wearing a Helmet. Lesley LaMasurier, who’s living with a mild traumatic brain injury, explains why athletes should always wear a helmet.
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I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer. Performing risky winter sports activities could lead to traumatic brain injuries. If you or a loved one has sustained a neurological trauma in an accident, please call me for free, friendly advice at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400.
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Sustaining Winter Sports Traumatic Brain Injuries: AutoAccident.com
Image Attribution: The image from the top was found and used with permission from Unsplash/Sustaining Winter Sports Traumatic Brain Injuries
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