Alpine skiing is the most popular winter sport practiced by hundreds of millions of people. The popularity of the sport and the development of skiing equipment brought about an increase in the number of injuries. The goal of this thesis is to use literature in order to identify the main risk factors and mechanisms for knee joint injuries in alpine skiing. The thesis summarises several studies that were conducted on the topic of alpine skiing injuries, and it also describes the personal experience of suffering a knee joint injury and the complications that were the result of a crash in an alpine skiing race.
The introduction features a short presentation of alpine skiing, the modern skiing technique and its impact on injuries. It is followed by a description of the anatomical structure of the knee joint, its mechanics and muscular system.
The main body of the thesis covers numerous research papers by various authors. The thesis lists the causes for injuries, also taking into account internal and external risk factors. It describes what happens when an injury occurs and what causes it. It presents injury diagnostics describing certain tests for determining an injury of an individual knee joint structure as well as radiological research. It presents an example of an injury with further complications through several surgeries. It also gives a detailed account of all the damaged structures and the possible treatment methods.
The thesis concludes with a summary of the research findings, a critical evaluation of the methods of treating knee joint injuries in alpine skiing, and a consideration on creating awareness among recreational and professional alpine skiers about the dangers of alpine skiing, proper preliminary preparation and the importance of following a rehabilitation programme for a successful return to the slopes.
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