By: Dr. ET Mejia As I returned from our annual family ski vacation, I wondered what my office waiting room would look like, usually packed with patients that stacked up while I was out of the office. It occurred to me that this is the time of the year when I see a flood of winter sports injuries superimposed on the typical seasonal basketball, wrestling, hockey, and other outdoor activities. While skiing in beautiful Big Sky, Montana, I couldn’t help but think of common themes that can contribute to a skiing injury. Some of these injuries include knee ligament tears, meniscus tears, patella dislocations, shoulder dislocations, rotator cuff tears, shoulder separations, and clavicle fractures, among others. One common denominator is an obvious one: less-experienced skiers are more susceptible to a skiing injury. However, there are other contributing factors, such as level of fitness, snow conditions, equipment, etc. I decided to list a few items that can lead to a skiing injury and will hopefully raise awareness to winter enthusiasts as they flock to the ski slopes. I have experienced or witnessed most of these, so I am sure many of you can relate. These tips have nothing to do with skiing techniques, but with simple common sense. Fatigue: This plays a huge role in ski injuries, just as it doe
January 16, 2021