Alpine skiing, snowboarding, and spinal trauma

This 10-year retrospective review of spinal injuries at a destination ski r esort was done to determine the incidence and type of spinal and neurologic injury associated with alpine winter sports. Spinal injury patterns and ou tcomes in skiers and snowboarders over a period of 11 seasons at a destinat ion resort were studied. One-fourth of cervical injuries were associated wi th a temporary neurologic deficit. Only 1 in 25 thoracic injuries had an as sociated neurologic deficit, and this was permanent. None of the lumbar inj uries required surgery, nor were any associated with a neurologic deficit. There was approximately one significant spinal injury every 100,000 skier-d ays, and only 9% of spinal injuries required surgery. The incidence of deat h or associated permanent neurologic deficit is low (approximately one per two million skier-days). Skiing and snowboarding have a low incidence of si gnificant spinal trauma.