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Ski fractures of the femur

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Berkshire Medical Center, Pittsfield, Massachusetts

Howard R. Kanner, MD

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Berkshire Medical Center, Pittsfield, Massachusetts

There have been few reports of femoral ski injuries. Twenty-four cases of femoral ski fractures (as well as one dislocation), collected over 8 years, are presented. Two-thirds of the patients were under 30 years of age. The largest single cause of injury (one-third of the cases) involved collision. High speed skiing with loss of control and falling on icy surfaces were other frequent causes of injury. Internal fixation methods were usually chosen for skeletally mature patients, with traction and casting used in children.

Femoral injuries have occurred in recent years de spite improvements in ski equipment, snowmaking, and trail-grooming. It is felt that these improvements have led to faster skiing with increased kinetic forces of injury, and more severe consequences of a fall or collision.