Tips for Knee Friendly Skiing

Ski injury research gathered over a thirty year period helped develop the "Guide for Knee Friendly Skiing." This article will briefly highlight the program developed to help reduce the risk of serious knee sprains. Reader's interested in more information should go to Vermont Ski Safety and click on VSR Direct for information on purchasing the 19 minute video and companion pamphlet.

The following information comes directly from Vermont Safety Research and the Pamphlet "Tips For Knee Friendly Skiing."

"Knee injuries are a fact of life in any sport, but over the past twenty-five years serious knee sprains, usually involving the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), have become an inherent risk of modern Alpine skiing, with more than 20,000 sustained each year by skiers in the U.S. alone. The ACL, located near the center of the knee, helps to maintain proper alignment of the load-bearing surfaces. Injury to the ACL can result in an unstable knee."

"One bright spot in this picture is an video-based program developed to help reduce the risk of certain types of knee injury among ski area employees. In a 1993-96 study, thousands of skiing professionals from ski areas across the U.S. used scenes of actual ACL sprains to define a composite description of critical events just prior to injury. Ski areas using this program have cut ACL sprains among instructors and patrollers by more than half. This success has led to the development of programs for the skiing public."

"Events leading up to ACL injury are subtle, giving the skier little or no warning of impending injury. ACL Awareness programs provide three independent strategies for dealing with this lack of warning:

• Avoid altogether high risk behavior.
• Routinely correct poor skiing technique.
• Recognize and respond quickly and effectively to potentially dangerous situations."

"There are many ways in which knee injuries can occur in skiing. The "Tips for Knee Friendly Skiing" program concentrates on the most common scenario, the Phantom Foot.

Phantom Foot
"One common ACL injury scenario has been termed the Phantom Foot because it involves the tail of the ski, a lever which points in the direction opposite that of the human foot."

Recognizing Potentially Dangerous Situations
"Three types of situations can lead to the Phantom Foot syndrome:

• Attempting to get up while still moving after a fall.
• Attempting a recovery from an off-balanced position.
• Attempting to sit down after losing control."

"Skiers should learn to recognize potentially dangerous situations while there is time to still respond. The list that follows is a profile of the Phantom Foot ACL. Six elements define the profile:

• Uphill arm back.
• Skier off balance to the rear.
• Hips below the knees.
• Uphill ski unweighted.
• Weight on the inside edge of the downhill ski tail.
• Upper body generally facing downhill ski."

Responding to Potentially Dangerous Situations
"When the elements of the Phantom Foot begin to fall into place, the ideal initial response is one that addresses as many elements as practical without limiting the skier's ability to take other appropriate measures, including any actions necessary to avoid collision with other obstacles or skiers. The following actions are a good example of an appropriate initial response.

1. Arms forward.
2. Feet together.
3. Hands over skis."

Recognizing potentially dangerous situations is best accomplished through the video based program. However, correcting poor technique and avoiding high risk behavior can be practiced by skiers of any level.

Correcting Poor Technique
"Several elements of the Phantom Foot can be considered bad habits. Uphill arm back, off-balance to the rear, and hips below the knees, are not part of normal skiing technique. If the following corrective actions are routinely taken whenever any one of these errors in technique is encountered, it could help prevent the chain of events leading to ACL injury from ever getting started.

• Maintain balance and control.
• Keep hips above knees.
• Keep arms forward.

"However, when several elements of the Phantom Foot syndrome fall into place rapidly, a practiced response, such as 1)arms forward, 2)skis together, 3)hands over skis, must be implemented quickly."

Avoiding High Risk Behavior
"Many injuries might be prevented by learning a few simple rules and avoiding altogether high risk behavior."

"Don't (fully) straighten your legs when you fall. If your ultimate intent is to bail out by means of a controlled fall, knees should remain flexed until you have stopped sliding."

"Don't try to get up until you've stopped sliding. Unless you are trying to avoid an obstacle or another skier, when you're down stay down."

"Don't land on your hand. Keep your arms up and forward in any kind of a fall. Pushing off or breaking your fall with your uphill arm greatly increases the chance of injury."

Getting the Most Out of Tips for Knee Friendly Skiing
The greatest benefit of this program is derived from a clear mental image and an inner awareness of the events leading up to the most common types of ACL injury. Careful viewing of the video and companion pamphlet is essential to developing a kinesthetic awareness and understanding of the program.

Article by Heidi Ettlinger ©2004 All rights reserved