FIS ISS Update: A Resounding Success as FIS Injury Surveillance System Gathers Record Data | June 2007
Following the launch in January 2006 of the International Ski Federation’s (FIS) ‘Injury Surveillance System’ (ISS), the research teams from the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre (OSTRC) responsible for collating data for the project have interviewed 886 World Cup athletes in the 2006/7 season, demonstrating huge support for this valuable initiative. The detailed results of the research, showing injury pattern in each FIS discipline, will be presented to all the relevant FIS commissions at their September meetings in Zurich.
The purpose of this project is to reduce the number of injuries to elite athletes in all the FIS Olympic disciplines: Alpine, Freestyle and Cross Country Skiing, Nordic Combined, Snowboard and Ski Jumping.
“FIS is concerned about the number of injuries suffered by elite athletes in the FIS disciplines. The FIS ISS project will provide us with current and reliable data on injury trends at the elite level so that we can begin to take the appropriate steps to address the risk factors through our rules and regulations, as well as obtaining a basis for providing proper injury preventions programmes,” commented Dr. Hubert Hoerterer, Chairman of the FIS Medical Committee, who is supervising the project,
Research teams from the OSTRC, under the supervision of Prof Bahr, collected data for the ISS and interviewed 866 World Cup athletes regarding injuries sustained during the 2006-2007 season. The athletes, coaches, event organizers and other support staff enthusiastically supported the research teams and helped contribute valuable information. The sheer volume of data collected showed the backing for the FIS ISS initiative.
The athletes were and will be further interviewed at eight different events in Europe and the United States. They were asked if they had any acute injuries this season and about the circumstances surrounding each injury, severity of injury (information of how long the athletes were out of competition or training), as well as specific diagnosis of each injury. Team coaches and physiotherapists were also interviewed regarding season-ending injuries for athletes not completing the season.
The preliminary results were presented to the FIS Medical Commission at the FIS Congress in Portoroz in May, and more detailed reports on the injury pattern in each of the disciplines will be presented to all the relevant FIS commissions at their September meetings in Zurich.
 Prof Bahr from OSTRC collecting date of the ISS | |
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 | The FIS ISS is actively supported by DJO. Lieve Vanden Berghe, DJO’s International Marketing Director commented: “We are delighted that this project has been so well received by the elite athletes of the FIS disciplines. As a leading edge sports medicine company with a special interest in injury prevention, DJO is always looking to support valuable initiatives to help the orthopaedic & sports medicine sector develop better treatments and products that help prevent injuries or rehabilitate them more quickly.” |
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