Skiers and Snowboarders, Caution on the Slopes

Skiers and Snowboarders Need to Exercise Caution on the Slopes

Skiers and snowboarders may lower their risk of head injury by simply wearing a helmet, according to a recent study examining 495 patients treated at a mountain-area Level One Trauma Center for head injuries resulting from skiing and snowboarding accidents.

Stewart Levy, MD, a neurosurgeon in private practice in Denver, Colorado, will describe the results of his head injury prevention study at the Annual Meeting of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS), which is taking place October 30 - November 4, 1999 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Of the head injuries reported in the study, 69 percent were mild. However, 15 percent of the study population presented with severe head injuries, with four percent resulting in death. The most common cause of injury was skier collision with a tree, accounting for almost half of all injuries and resulting in the most severe injuries, including skull fractures, cerebral contusions, subdural and epidural hematomas and diffuse brain injuries.

"Head injury is the leading cause of death and serious injury among skiers and snowboarders, yet very few skiers or snowboarders wear helmets," said Dr. Levy. "That is why the results of this study are so important. Many head injuries could be prevented if skiers and snowboarders took the necessary precautions to protect themselves - like wearing helmets."

In 1997, there were 17,500 head injuries associated with skiing and snowboarding. It is estimated that 7,700 head injuries - including 2,600 head injuries to children - could have been prevented or reduced in severity by using skiing or snowboarding helmets.

"Helmet safety is an enormous public health problem, and neurosurgeons, more than any other physician, see the devastating impact of such injuries," said Brian T. Andrews, MD, a neurosurgeon at the University of California, and Chair of the AANS/CNS Section on Neurotrauma and Critical Care. "Each year, more and more people are brought to the emergency room with traumatic brain injuries resulting from skiing and snowboarding accidents. Helmets could help prevent such injuries."

As part of the study, helmets were distributed to skiers and snowboarders, free of charge at a Colorado ski resort. Of the 1,961 skiers and snowboarders who received a helmet, 51 percent reported that they fell and hit their head. Of those, 91 percent said the helmet made a difference in preventing injury. More important, 97 percent of those who accepted a helmet as part of the program reported that they would continue to wear a helmet in the future.

"Our goal for the program is to raise public awareness, increase helmet use among skiers and snowboarders and decrease the incidence and severity of head injuries on the ski slopes," said Dr. Levy.

Founded in 1951, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) is a scientific and educational association with approximately 4,800 members worldwide. The CNS is dedicated to advancing the specialty of neurological surgery in order to provide the highest quality of neurosurgical care to the public. Neurological surgery is the medical specialty concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of patients with injury to, or diseases of, the brain, spine and peripheral nerves.

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Media Representatives: To view the online press room, visit http://www.neurosurgery.org/pubpages/news/cn99mediakit.html. If you would like to cover the meeting or interview a neurosurgeon - either on-site or via telephone - please contact Deia Lofendo at (847) 518-2519 or call the Annual Meeting press room beginning Sunday, October 31, at (617) 954-2595.