INJURIES OF COMPETITIVE SKIERS IN FINLAND - A 3 YEAR SURVEY

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 69  (3) , 97-101
Abstract
The injuries of competition skiers in Finland during 1976-1978 were investigated. Presently in Finland an obligatory competition licence is always linked with accident insurance; thus the research is based on an insurance company''s records. The total number of licensed competition skiers in 1978 was 7814, 7052 being cross-country skiers, 275 skijumpers and 487 downhill skiers. During the period, 180 accidents leading to an injury were recorded. Cross-country skiers had 47% of these injuries, downhill skiers 23% and skijumpers 30%. The injury risk in skijumping (47.permill.) was significantly (P < 0.001) greater in the other events (3.permill. and 18.permill.). In the comparison of injury risk, men (8.5.permill.) outnumbered women (4.4.permill.) (P < 0.001). Men under 30 had more injuries than the older age group (P < 0.001). Muscle and tendon injuries were most common in cross-country skiing. The risk of sustaining a fracture was higher in skijumping than in the downhill events (P < 0.001) and higher in downhill skiing than in cross-country (P < 0.001). Cross-country skiing seems to be a safe activity, but downhill skiers and especially skijumpers seem to have a relatively high risk of injury.

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