For the first time in the games entire history, woman will be competing for the gold in ski jumping. Yes that’s right. Up until this very year, women have not been allowed to ski jump for the gold. Well it’s about time isn’t it?
Any sport at the highest level has its challenges. For 19-year-old U.S. ski jumper Sarah Hendrickson, it’s a bit more than the ‘usual’; she had full reconstructive knee surgery just six months before the games in Sochi. Hendrickson tore two knee ligaments (ACL and MCL) and suffered major cartilage damage. The ACL was reconstructed and the MCL and cartilage were repaired.
At a press conference before the Friday opening ceremonies, and after months of 6-hour days rehabilitating, 6 days a week, Hendrickson told reporters the muscles around her knee are good and that she is actually stronger than she has ever been.
While jumping off a ramp going 70-90 miles an hour is rather extreme, Callie Kane, PT, DPT, and Clinic Director of the ATI clinic in Wixom, MI, says like Hendrickson, knee surgery patients should get moving as soon as possible.
“Everyone is a little different in their recovery process,” said Callie. “Generally you want to get the knee’s range of motion back as soon as possible, that’s priority number one. Once the range of motion is there, muscle strengthening can begin with the Quadriceps being very important. Therapy has to balance the progress between keeping blood clots from forming, and monitoring the swelling that can take place. Swelling inhibits the muscles ability to fire properly so you have to take it day by day, and case by case.”
Interestingly, according to what Hendrickson told reporters, ski jumping is not as hard on the knees as most other forms of skiing because you don’t have the torque on the knee like you do for downhill or freestyle.
Ski-Related Knee Injuries
Knee injuries are common in skiers simply because of the inherit demands of the sport. Securing your feet and ankles into the ski naturally moves the stress of a torqued ski to the nearest joint that is free, which is the knee.
Knee injuries can include:
- Meniscus tears
- Complete dislocations
- Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) injuries
- Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries and tears
Beginners and even intermediate skiers are more prone to MCL injuries, because of the ‘snowplow’ stance that is used to stop and turn, as the technique puts a lot of stress on the inside portion of the knee.
More advanced skiers are prone to ACL injuries because they tend to have higher speed falls.
If any of you have undergone similar experiences with knee surgery recovery, can you imagine flying down a 95 meter ramp on a set of skies, to launch yourself over 100 yards in the air and have to land on that knee? Well neither can we, but that’s just one more reason why we are all in amazement of these athletes, their dedication and their determination.
As the reigning woman’s World Champion, Sarah was the favorite to win the gold before her surgery. No matter how well she does, Sarah’s hard work is an amazing testament to physical rehabilitation. Most importantly, she will be one of the first women in history to compete for the gold as a ski jumper.
*references: uastoday.com, and Ettlinger CF, Johnson RJ and Shealy JE, American Journal of Sports Medicine 1995; 23(5): 531-537)