Use of helmets by skiers and snowboarders could reduce head injury risk–a leading cause of injury and death in this population–by as much as 60%, according to the findings of a meta-analysis.
To characterize traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and spinal cord injuries (SCI) in skiers and snowboarders and to assess prevention strategies, Alun Ackery, a medical student at the University of Toronto and colleagues reviewed 24 articles from 10 countries published between January 1990 and December 2004 that were associated with skiing, snowboarding, or both.
The findings show an increasing incidence of both TBI and SCI, in part because of the growing popularity of high-speed and acrobatic maneuvers on skis and snowboards (Inj. Prev. 2007;13[6]:368-75).
A study from the United States found that 88% of all skiing and snowboarding deaths resulted from head injuries, based on data from a trauma registry. And a Canadian study found that a majority of SCIs occurred among expert snowboarders during jumps ranging from 2 feet to 25 feet.
Young men sustain the most head and spine injuries from skiing and snowboarding, according to several studies in the meta-analysis. A study of data from two complete ski seasons in British Columbia, Canada, found that 70% of SCIs in skiers and 100% of SCIs in snowboarders occurred in men. The mean age of the injured male skiers was 35 years and the mean age of the injured snowboarders was 22 years.
In addition, data from a 10-year study conducted by researchers at the Innsbruck (Austria) University Hospital showed an increase in winter sports injuries between 1982 and 1992 that could be attributed to speed and collisions, and that nearly 40% of spinal injuries from winter sports occurred in young men aged 15-25 years.
Data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission showed an increased percentage of head injuries in skiers from 12% in 1993 to 15% in 1997, and the estimated number of head injuries in snowboarders jumped from 1,000 in 1993 to 5,200 in 1997. Head injuries accounted for 14% of all ski and snowboard injuries in children and teens aged 15 years and younger.
Additional data from the commission suggest that wearing a helmet could prevent 44% of head injuries while skiing or snowboarding and reduce head injuries in children and teens aged 15 years and younger by 53%. But many countries have no standards for helmet use in these sports.
The researchers recommended the use of helmets “by all skiing and snowboarding participants [and] the promotion and enforcement of standards for ski and snowboarding helmets in countries in which these activities are common.”
Although some concerns have been raised about increased risk of cervical spine injuries in children caused by helmet use, the accident data don't support this risk. And parents should be cautioned that helmets should be properly fitted to the child's current size, not bought larger to allow “room to grow,” the researchers noted.
Most countries do not require skiers or snowboarders to wear a helmet, even though doing so would reduce head injuries. CEZARY MACIOCHA/FOTOLIA