Where to Ski And Snowboard - Choose shorter ski to avoid ACL injury

Choose shorter ski to avoid ACL injury

17th May 2022, by Abi Butcher

Sports scientists in Austria have evaluated the risk factors to ACL injury in skiers

If you want to avoid an ACL injury, choose a shorter ski, with narrower tips and use bindings mounted closer to the ski, say sports scientists in Austria.

Research from the Sports Science department at the University of Innsbruck, published this week by the British Journal of Sports Medicine, points to ways both male and female recreational skiers can reduce their risk of injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

The study involved 1817 recreational skiers over six seasons, and included 392 skiers who had suffered an ACL injury — 21.6 per cent of the total number. It was conducted retrospectively, by questionnaire, with the geometry of their skis (length, side-cut radius, widths of the tip, waist and tail) were recorded for each participant. Using a digital calliper, researchers also measured the standing heights at the front and rear of the bindings, calculating the ration between the two.

Skiers, they found, were more predisposed to ACL injury when they were older, of lower skill and where they took part in “riskier behaviour”. But the geometry of their ski also played a part, and were found to be independent risk factors to ACL damage.

The research concluded that when recreational skiers buy or rent skis, they can reduce their risk of ACL injury — particularly if they are of lower skill level — by choosing a shorter ski with narrower tips, mounted with bindings that allowed the skier to stand closer to the ski on the snow, and where possible with a more elevated heel.

Read the report on the British Journal of Sports Medicine by clicking here.