Editor’s note: This article is part of the Health and Fitness page’s weekly series about sports injuries based on information from the physical therapists of Cyclone Sports Medicine. This week, Jim Nespor will spotlight ski injuries.

With spring break just around the corner, many ISU students will forego sand and sea for snow and slopes. Though downhill skiing can be fun, it can also be dangerous.

“Each year after the spring break ski season, we do see several students who have had some unfortunate injuries on the downhill ski slopes,” said Jim Nespor, physical therapist at Cyclone Sports Medicine. “Some of these injuries may be avoidable, and others may not be. Of course, some of the unavoidable ones have to do with consumption of alcohol.”

Nespor said most injuries are caused by spills on the slopes.

“The most common mechanism for injuries on the ski slope is, of course, falling,” he said. “Falling can lead to a variety of predictable injuries, mainly due to the boots and skis that the person has to use.”

The two most common categories of injuries caused by falling are fractures and knee-ligament injuries, Nespor said.

“When people tend to ski out of control, sometimes they may get themselves in a position where they ski off the path and have an unfortunate encounter with a tree, rock, another person, etc. These can result in fractures or knee-ligament injuries,” he said.

One of the more common fractures is a boot-top fracture, Nespor said.

“The ski boots come up very high on the shin bone,” he said. “And because of this, if a person falls forward, sideways, backwards, etc., it may provide a good leverage point to cause a fracture. The treatment for this is usually casting or surgery and will result in a visit to Cyclone Sports Medicine at a later point in time.”

Knee ligament injuries are often the result of too-tight boots, Nespor said.

“Skiers are always anxious to maximize their time on the slopes,” he said. “One way they feel that they can do this is to tighten up the tension on their boot bindings so their skis will not ‘pop’ off as easily when they do fall. However, this can lead to the knee-ligament injury.”

Injuries of this nature involve enormous pressure on the knee, Nespor said.

“Imagine applying a force or torque to the knee with a 6-foot lever arm,” he said. “If the ski does not pop off, the pressure goes directly to the knee ligaments and may result in an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament or other knee structures.”

Nespor said the cure for most knee-ligament injuries is reconstructive surgery.

“One of the best ways to prevent injuries is to start a conditioning or weight-training program before you leave,” he said. “It is best if this is done over a four- to six-week period. However, with only two days to go, you are a little late for this one. The stronger and more flexible the joints and muscles are before the ski trip, the better chance a person has to prevent injury.”

If it is too late to begin strength training, another preventative option is to not have one’s bindings adjusted too tightly.

“If the ski pops off, then the skier will land in some nice, soft white powder,” he said. “So please resist the temptation to worry about chasing your ski down the hill.”

Nespor also said it is important for skiers to be aware of their level of expertise because overestimating one’s ability can lead to injury.

For further information, students, faculty and staff may visit Cyclone Sports Medicine, located in the Lied Recreation Center, or call 294-2626.