USC Health Now

Q. I’ve heard that skiing can be a dangerous sport for your knees. Is this true?

A. “Skiing is pretty hard on the knees. The constant twisting, stopping and turning movements and tight bindings can be tough on the anterior cruciate ligament, commonly known as the ACL, in the knee, ” says Thomas Vangsness, M.D., professor of orthopaedics at the Keck of School of Medicine of USC. “The worst case scenario would be tearing of the ACL. That can lead to pain, swelling and unstable walking. The ACL doesn’t heal on it’s own so patients will eventually need reconstruction.” According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), many winter sports injuries happen at the end of the day, when people overexert themselves to finish that one last run before the day’s end. A majority of these injuries can easily be prevented if participants prepare for their sport by keeping in good physical condition, staying alert and stopping when they are tired or in pain. The AAOS also recommends warming up before any winter sport and taking lessons to properly learn how to ski. “See your doctor immediately if you injure yourself,” says Vangsness. “If you do require surgery, it takes usually three months to return to jogging and 6-9 months to return to sports.”