New York, NY and Greenwich, CT September 2006 – “Downhill skiing continues to be one of America’s favorite winter pastimes, attracting nearly 20 million participants to the snowy slopes each year, according to the USDA Forestry Division’s national recreational sports survey published in 2000. Snowboarding is gaining popularity too, as recent reports found more than 8 million Americans participate in the sport each year. Yet, along with the excitement of a day on the slopes, alpine skiers and snowboarders face numerous risks associated with these activities, which are considered among the most physically demanding of all sports. The good news is that many of these injuries can be prevented with a preseason training program to add strength and flexibility to the muscles, tendons and ligaments used while skiing many of which are rarely, if ever, used during normal everyday activities.
“Skiing and snowboarding are rising in popularity, in part because they offer an opportunity for outdoor activity during the cold winter months,” notes Kevin Plancher, M.D., a leading NY-area orthopaedist and official surgeon of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Teams. “What’s more, these sports have a very benevolent reputation; they tend to look easy to the average non-skier, and many people even believe that the soft, powdery snow will cushion their fall and help them avoid injury,” Plancher adds.
Not so, of course. In fact, while an increase in helmet use has resulted in fewer head injuries in recent years, and better equipment has all but eliminated instances of severe leg and ankle fractures, the overall boney injury rate among skiers has remained stagnant for the past ten years. As for snowboarders, injury rates more than doubled during that time. “For skiers and snowboarders alike, we are concerned both with the rate of injury, and with the fluctuation in the types of injuries we are seeing from year to year,” explains Dr. Plancher. He notes that many of the changes in injury patterns reflect changes in the sports themselves, as younger participants begin to “push the envelope” by incorporating riskier freestyle moves into both sports. “The most prevalent injuries now involve tendons, ligaments and muscles in the legs, knees, and even in the upper body, which – when specifically trained for added strength and flexibility during skiing – may withstand greater load and range of motion without injury,” he adds.
Pre-Season Ski & Snowboard Training 101
Dr. Plancher, who serves as Chairman the Orthopedic Foundation for Active Lifestyles (www.ofals.org) – a non-profit organization dedicated to advancements in research and education for orthopedics and sports medicine encourages skiers and snowboarders of all ages and skill levels to begin training now for the winter season. He recommends a program that focuses on four key areas of conditioning:
“There is no ‘magic bullet’ to preventing all skiing and snowboarding injuries,” Dr. Plancher admits. “However, preparation that starts now can have snow-sports enthusiasts well on their way to a safe season this winter.”
New York Office
1160 Park Avenue (corner of 92nd Street)
New York, NY 10128
Phone: (212) 876-5200
Fax: (212) 876-4440
Connecticut Office
31 River Road, Suite 102 Cos Cob,
CT 06807
Phone: (203) 863-2003
Fax: (203) 863-2025
Joseph M. Ajdinovich, M.D.
Fellowship Year 2016-2017
Post Fellowship: Orthopaedic Surgeon, Bonutti Clinic & HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital
Effingham, IL
Jeffrey T. Alwine, D.O.
Fellowship Year 2013-2014
Post Fellowship: Orthopaedic Surgeon, Guthrie Corning Hospital, Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital, Guthrie Troy Community Hospital
Corning, New York / Troy, Pennsylvania
Shariff K. Bishai, M.S., D.O.
Fellowship Year 2006-2007
Post Fellowship: Partner, Associated Orthopedists of Detroit
St. Claire Shores, MI
Peter B. Blank, D.O.
Fellowship Year 2005-2006
Post Fellowship: Owner, New Jersey Center for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine
Basking Ridge, NJ
David B. Dickerson, M.D.
Fellowship Year 2008-2009
Post Fellowship: Owner, Performance Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine
Shrewsbury / Tom’s River, New Jersey
Albert S.M. Dunn, D.O.
Fellowship Year 2013-2014
Post Fellowship: Orthopaedic Surgeon, Precision Orthopaedic Specialties, Inc.
Chardon, Ohio
Eric D. Fornari MD
Pediatric Sports Medicine
Montefiore Medical Center | 3400 Bainbridge Avenue, 6th Floor, Bronx, NY 10467
Monet A. France, M.D.
Fellowship Year 2012-2013
Post Fellowship: Orthopaedic Surgeon, CareMount Medical
Fishkill, New York
Mary Ann Gardner, M.D., Lieutenant Commander, Medical Corp, USNR
Fellowship Year 2007-2008
Post Fellowship: Department of Surgery at James A. Haley Veteran’s Hospital
Tampa, Florida
Michael J. Kaplan, MD
Advanced Knee Reconstruction and Sports Medicine
Active Orthopaedics P.C. | 1579 Straits Turnpike, Middlebury, CT 06762
Harish Kempegowda, M.D.
Fellowship Year: 2018-2019
Post Fellowship: Orthopaedic Surgeon, Horizon Health
Paris, Illinois
Bradley J. Lawson, M.D.
Fellowship Year 2010-2011
Post Fellowship: Orthopaedic Surgeon, Advanced Orthopedics of Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Sheryl L. Lipnick, D.O.
Fellowship Year 2008-2009
Post Fellowship: Physician, The Center for Sports Orthopaedics, S.C
Hoffman Estates / Carol Stream, IL
Timothy A. Luke, M.D.
Post Fellowship: Orthopaedic Surgeon, Minimally Invasive Spine
Fellowship Year 2003-2004
Phoenix, Arizona
Marc J. Philippon, MD
Complex & Advanced Hip Arthroscopic Procedures
Steadman Clinic / Steadman Surgical Skills Lab | 181 West Meadow Drive, Suite 400, Vail, CO 81657
Pedro A. Piza, M.D.
Post Fellowship: Physician, Tenet Florida Physician Services
Fellowship Year 2004-2005
Delray Beach / Boca Raton, Florida
Kevin D. Plancher, MD, MPH
Fellowship Director – Knee & Shoulder Reconstruction, Sports Medicine, and Arthroplasty
Plancher Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine | 1160 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10128
Bioskills Cadaver Lab | 345 East 37th Street, Suite 312, NY, NY 10016
Alberto R. Rivera-Rosado, M.D.
Fellowship Year 2009-2010
Post Fellowship: Owner, Rivera Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
Coamo, Puerto Rico
William I. Sterett, MD
Knee & Shoulder Reconstruction, Sports Medicine, Arthroplasty, and Acute Trauma
Vail Summit Orthopaedics | 108 S Frontage Rd W, Vail, CO 81657
William W. Stewart, M.D.
Fellowship Year 2012-2013
Post Fellowship: Orthopaedic Surgeon, Mercy Clinic Orthopedic Surgery
Edmond, Oklahoma
Francesca M. Swartz, D.O.
Fellowship Year 2010-2011
Post Fellowship: Orthopedic Surgeon, Orthopedic Specialists of SW Florida
Fort Meyers, Florida
Seth R. Miller, MD
Shoulder Reconstruction and Sports Medicine
Orthopaedic & Neurosurgery Specialists (ONS) / 6 Greenwich Office Park, Greenwich, CT 06831
Paul M. Sethi, MD
Knee & Shoulder Reconstruction, Sports Medicine, and Shoulder Arthroplasty
Orthopaedic & Neurosurgery Specialists (ONS) / 6 Greenwich Office Park, Greenwich, CT 06831
William D. Murrell, MD
Fellowship Year 2021-2022
Post Fellowship: Orthopaedic Surgeon, Gardner Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine/Institute for Mobility and Longevity
Ft. Meyers, FL
Tyler J. Brolin MD
Complex Shoulder Arthroplasty & Reconstruction, and Sports Medicine
Campbell Clinic Orthopaedics / 1400 S. Germantown Road, Germantown, TN 38138
Thomas B. Evely, DO
Fellowship Year: 2020-2021
Post Fellowship: Orthopaedic Surgeon, University of Alabama (UAB);
Assistant Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Heersink School of Medicine
Birmingham, Alabama
Clifford Voigt, MD
Fellowship Year 2021-2022
Post Fellowship: Orthopaedic Surgeon, SUNY Downstate Medical Center
Brooklyn, NY
Karthikeyan Chinnakkannu, MD
Fellowship Year: 2020-2021
Post Fellowship: Orthopaedic Surgeon, Bronx Care Health System
Bronx, New York
Erik Carlson, MD
Shoulder Reconstruction, and Sports Medicine
Active Orthopaedics P.C. / 1579 Straits Turnpike, Middlebury, CT 06762
Marc S. Kowalsky, MD
Knee & Shoulder Reconstruction, Sports Medicine
Orthopaedic & Neurosurgery Specialists (ONS) / 6 Greenwich Office Park, Greenwich, CT 06831
Rachel M. Frank, MD
Sports Medicine and Cartilage Regeneration
CU Sports Medicine Center / 2000 S. Colorado Blvd., The Colorado Center Tower One, Suite 4500, Denver, CO 80222
CU Sports Medicine & Performance Center / 2150 Stadium Drive, Boulder, CO 80309
Orthopedics-Anschutz / 1635 Aurora Court, 4th Floor, Aurora, CO 80045
Max N. Seiter, MD
Shoulder, Hip and Knee Reconstruction, Sports Medicine, and Acute Trauma
Vail Summit Orthopaedics / 108 S Frontage Rd W, Vail, CO 81657
Demetris Delos, MD
Knee & Shoulder Reconstruction, and Sports Medicine
Orthopaedic & Neurosurgery Specialists (ONS) / 6 Greenwich Office Park, Greenwich, CT 06831
Armando F. Vidal, MD
Knee & Shoulder Reconstruction, Sports Medicine, and Acute Trauma
The Steadman Clinic / 181 West Meadow Drive, Suite 400, Vail, CO 81657
Lauren M. Fabian, MD
Shoulder, Knee & Elbow Reconstruction and Sports Medicine
Orthopaedic Specialty Group (OSG) / 305 Black Rock Turnpike, Fairfield, CT 06825 and 762 River Road, Shelton, CT 06484
R. Tim Greene, MD
Complex Hip Arthroscopy and Sports Medicine
Orthopaedic & Neurosurgery Specialists (ONS) / 6 Greenwich Office Park, Greenwich, CT 06831
Peter J. Millett, MD, MSc
Knee & Shoulder Reconstruction, Shoulder Arthroplasty, and Sports Medicine
The Steadman Clinic / 181 West Meadow Drive, Suite 400, Vail, CO 81657
Jaya Shanmugam, M.D.
Fellowship Year: 2019-2020
Post Fellowship: Orthopaedic Surgeon, Pratt Regional Medical Center
Pratt, Kansas
Contact us about any ankle, knee, or shoulder injuries you’ve experienced this winter.