H istorically, skiing as a form of locomotion was instrumental in activities such as hunting, medical transportation, and military conflict. It was not until the early 1800's that skiing became popular as a means of exercise, and it would take nearly 100 years to be adapted as a sport. 34 Alpine ski racing became an Olympic sport in 1936, and the first International Ski Federation (FIS) World Cup race was held in 1967. 16 Alpine skiing is now well organized, with competitions ranging from junior through masters levels. Although recreational skiing injuries have been well described, there is less published work on injuries sustained during alpine ski racing. The forces, speeds, and slope conditions that ski racers encounter differ greatly from the average recreational skier. 14,53 The purpose of this article is to comprehensively review the existing literature with regard to alpine ski racing injuries and to identify further areas of study and potential strategies for injury prevention. Methods A review of the published literature from 1976 to 2018 pertaining to alpine ski racing injuries was performed. Pertinent articles were identified from PubMed, Ovid, and Google Scholar using the search terms "ski racing," "alpine ski racing," "injury," and "epidemiology." Additional studies, including studies regarding specific ski racing injuries, were identified from the references of relevant articles. Studies focused on snowboarding injuries or on recreational alpine skiing injuries were excluded. epideMiology Reported injury rates in alpine skiing are high. 2,9,11,15,28,36,51,56 At the World Cup level, which is the highest level of competition, the incidence of injury ranges from 23.5 to 36.7 injuries per 100 athletes per season. 15,19,28 Nearly half (45.0%) of injuries in World Cup athletes occur during competition 15,19 as opposed to 825842S PHXXX10.

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Lacerations in alpine ski racers caused by the sharp metal edge of the ski are potentially severe and even life-threatening injuries. To date, there has been little published on these injuries. This case series reports on 5 cases of severe lacerations in alpine ski racers and details slope side management, initial evaluation, and definitive treatment. By publishing this case series, it is hoped to promote further investigation into the mechanism of these injuries and strategies for prevention. Study Design: Case series. Level of evidence: Level 4C.