[Injuries specific to ice skating--documentation of the injuries of competitive athletes during a pre-season training camp]

Abstract

A Prospective Study. Competitive figure skaters absolve a comprehensive training schedule. The musculoskeletal system of pair and single skaters have to tolerate enormous impacts, especially throughout landings after repetitive jumps. Intense training leads therefore to specific sports injuries and chromic overuse injuries of the ice skaters. Twenty-five skaters were studied. We concentrated on the different types and localisations of injuries and on the individual loss of training sessions resulting from these injuries. The results are based on questionnaires and a clinical examination of the athletes. Typical acute and chronic injuries in figure skating mainly manifest at the lower extremity. It is striking that the first symptoms often occur during the preseason and persist the complete season or even for several years. The significance of sport specific and not ice skating related influences with regard to injury susceptibility is explained. Methodical "off-ice-training" seems to be useful to prevent injuries resulting from physical dysbalances. Improvements of the skating boots might protect from typical high impact during the landings after repetitive jumps.