This week sees Mike giving his first lecture to members of the public at Spire Manchester Hospital.
Mike will be talking about the common injuries that occur on the slopes. He will also touch upon whether these injuries need surgery abroad or whether they can wait until they come back to the UK mainland.
Common ski injuries that occur are fractures around the wrist mainly to the distal radius and ligamentous injuries around the thumb.
Distal radial fractures, if displaced usually require manipulation in the emergency room followed by immobilisation in a temporary plaster Paris back slab.
The decision to fix a fracture needs to be made and there is then an approximate 10 day window before surgery becomes increasingly difficult to perform as the fracture becomes increasingly sticky. Distal radial fractures can be fixed using smooth stainless steel wires or plates and screws.
Another common injury is to the ligament on the inside of the thumb , known as skiers thumb. This injury often require surgery because a tendon slips underneath the ligament and prevent it hearing back to its original footprint. Failure to recognise this injury and treated appropriately may cause instability and a decreased ability to pinch the side of the index finger against the thumb.