Kootenai | Kootenai Health | Issue 4, 2016

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Every year locals and
visitors alike flock to
the ski hills of northern
Idaho for exercise and
time spent with family
and friends. While
most of these outings
end happily and
without complications,
unfortunately some
end with injury and
a trip to the doctor’s
office or hospital.
“Unfortunately, as
an orthopedic surgeon I see many
ski-related injuries throughout the
season,” said Connor Quinn, M.D.,
Kootenai Clinic Orthopedics. “Some
injuries are unavoidable, but some
injuries can be prevented by properly
conditioning prior to the season,
warming up and stretching before
your first run.”
The most common injuries caused
by skiing happen to the knee.
Whether it is due to improper
technique, ill-fitting equipment,
falls or collisions, skiers’ knees
carry most of the burden. The most
common injury in skiing is the
medial collateral ligament (MCL)
tear, followed by the anterior cruciate
ligament (ACL) tear. The MCL
is the ligament on the inner side
of the knee, and injuries are most
common in relatively new skiers.
MCL tears are most likely
to happen when the skier
is in the snowplow (or
“pizza”) position and he
or she falls forward down
the hill, or catches an
edge, or when the foot
is forced away from the
body.
Counter to the MCL is
the ACL, located inside
the joint of the knee. The
ACL plays a larger role in
stabilizing the knee and
is often injured due to poor landings
while jumping or improper weight
distribution. Hyperextension is a
common cause of ACL injuries, es-
pecially when the ski acts as a lever,
adding more force to the knee.
Both of these injuries can be
prevented by using equipment that
fits correctly and by using proper
technique.
“The MCL is located outside the
knee joint and as a result has a good
blood supply and can more often
be treated nonoperatively in active
individuals,” Dr. Quinn said. “ACL
injuries often require surgical recon-
struction before patients can return
to skiing or other pivoting activities.
Luckily success rates from surgery
are excellent, but typically require
extensive rehabilitation and recovery
time.”
◗
◗ Prepare. Preparing your
body before ski season
will help build strength
and endurance.
Exercises like lunges,
squats and planks will
help ease your muscles
into activity.
◗ ◗ Check your gear. Make
sure you have all the
right gear before head-
ing up to the mountain.
Check your skis, poles,
boots and helmet to en-
sure they fit properly.
◗
◗ Use proper technique.
Stay within your experi-
ence level and focus on
mastering basic tech-
niques before advanc-
ing. Sign up for a lesson
if you need a refresher.
◗ ◗ Warm up. Warm up
your muscles before
hitting the slopes to pre-
vent tears and strains.
◗
◗ Be prepared. Always
ski with a friend or
family member, and
know how to contact
ski patrol should you
get hurt.
K N E E - D E E P
I N S O L U T I O N S
Want to know
more about treating
ACL/MCL injuries? Visit
or
contact Dr. Quinn’s office at
(208) 625-6111.
Connor Quinn, M.D.
Kootenai Clinic
Orthopedics
Protect
Yourself
From Injury
This Ski Season
P R E PA R I N G Y O U R B O D Y
B E F O R E H I T T I N G T H E S L O P E S
M AY P R E V E N T I N J U R Y
By Andrea Nagel
STAY
SAFE AND
PREVENT
INJURIES
KH . ORG 15