november-2011

Play it safe
Enjoy an injury-free ski season with
some quick tips from orthopaedic surgeon
Steve Bollen of The Yorkshire Clinic
PROMOTION
Mr Bollen has found that ski-related
anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)
injuries have tripled over the last 10
years, with women over the age of
40 accounting for 90% of them. The story is
usually the same: a twisting injury where the
bindings don’t release. This often occurs at slow
speed, when getting on and off chairlifts – you
feel a pop or snap and immediate pain. Usually it
results in the indignity of being tobogganed down.
Ski resort clinics can pressure patients to have
surgery in the fi rst 24 to 48 hours, but this isn’t
usually necessary unless there’s an associated
fracture. In fact, there’s considerable evidence it’s
better to wait three to four weeks before having the
ligament reconstructed, to avoid the complication
of scar formation in the joint. Even complex knee
injuries involving several ligaments can be left up
to 10 to 14 days before reconstruction. A brace,
crutches, regular icing and anti-infl ammatories
(providing there are no contraindications) will
suffi ce until you return home, when you should
get a specialist opinion urgently.
Minimise your risk through at least six to eight
weeks of muscle-building training. There are plenty
of ski-fi tness programmes around, and leg-press
machines most closely mimic the action of skiing
and snowboarding. For snowboarding, wrist guards,
coccyx and back protectors, and learning to fall
correctly may help – and always wear a helmet.
Knee braces have not been shown to prevent injury.
All sports have risks, and there is nothing quite
like mountains, blue sky and fresh snow. If the
worst comes to the worst, the Yorkshire Clinic can
always put you back together!
Bradford Road, Bingley BD16 1TW,
tel: +44 (0)1274 550 621, www.stevebollen.co.uk,
www.theyorkshireclinic.co.uk,
yorkshire.enquiries@ramsayhealth.co.uk