Sh*t Happens,But Injuries Don't Have to Mean
The End of Your Ski Life
Stay in shape, stretch, train, eat right, be cautious, and guess what -- injuries still happen sometimes, as Steven Cohn, of Bethesda, Md., found out a few years ago skiing at Whitetail in Pennsylvania.
“I was carving turns down the mountain,” he recalls. “I was pleased about the natural, fresh snow, my body’s performance and ski equipment. Suddenly, my forward visibility was limited by the rapid decent of the terrain before me. I was airborne. Not a problem. However, in direct line of my landing stood three young ladies … chatting (probably about their cell-phone reception) in the middle of the trail.”
Among the thoughts that flashed through his mind, Cohn says, were “What the #*?!” and “avoidance mid-flight maneuver.”
“I tried the later,” he says. “My landing was harder than anticipated. My left leg (downhill) didn’t get the message and didn’t hold its edge. I fell forward and toward my left. My bindings didn’t release and I felt and heard two distinct pops in my left knee. Ouch! [Deleted expletives.] That was special! I was dragged off the mountain and given an ice pack. After being asked to sign liability release forms ... I got in my car and my wife drove me home.
“The following morning I visited the neighborhood hospital. The physicians confirmed my diagnosis of a torn anterior crucial ligament (ACL). The next week was spent obtaining second-through-seventh opinions. Some physicians advised to learn to live with a locking knee or a knee that had unlimited swiveling capabilities. Some advised me to wear a knee brace. However, without surgery there would be no more skiing. Others said they could operate and rebuild the joint. I’m an active guy and wanted to ski again.”
Cohn found Mark Danziger through word of mouth. He had successfully operated on several of Cohn’s friends and thousands of other knees. Cohn researched Danziger’s credentials and performance history on the Web and found him highly recommended.
Cohn decided that Danziger was “the man I wanted to rebuild my knee.”
Danziger gave Cohn the choice between replacing the ACL with a cadaver ligament and harvesting a ligament from Cohn’s patella tendon.
“Both choices would be accompanied by a repair of a torn meniscus (soft cartilage in the knee joint),” recalls Cohn. “Both choices had their drawbacks. My body could reject a cadaver ligament and rejection meant a second surgery. The problem associated with harvesting was a longer rehabilitation. … Not wanting to risk a possible second surgery, I opted for a harvest.
“I’m 48 years old and 29 months post-surgery,” says Cohn. “I work-out five times a week, coach my daughter’s soccer team, and snow ski. My left leg is weaker than the right, but it doesn’t interfere with my activity.”
In skiing, says celebrity trainer Kathy Kaehler, "torn ligaments in the knee can happen at any time -- waiting in line for the lift, going downhill, standing still and someone running into you. ... However, you can strengthen ... with some exercises that target these specific areas."
She recommends:
1. The ski machine, to simulate downhill skiing right at home. You go back and forth holding poles, and can change the resistance as you get stronger.
2. The slide. You slide back and forth almost like a speed skater. Good for strengthening lateral movement.
3. Leg extension is also a great exercise to strengthen the quads that support the knee.
4. Core stabilization, to help you with balance and centering.
