Sports Medicine: Just the Facts

CHAPTER 82 • FIGURE SKATING 485

ENVIRONMENTAL INJURIES (Baker, 1998;
Helzer-Julin, 1994; Bailey, 2000)

• Cyclist may be predisposed to heat and cold injuries
  and altitude sickness, underscoring the importance of
  proper clothing, nutrition, hydration, and acclimatiza-
  tion. (Please see chapter 39 for detail.)

EQUIPMENT AND SAFETY

• Helmet: Reduce risk of head injuries 74–85%
  (Thompson and Rivara, 2001; Stephans-Stidham and
  Mallonee, 2001).
  
  
  1. Should be worn snugly in a horizontal position on
     the head with the straps forming a ‘V’ around the
     ears, and held in place with the buckle fastened.
  
  
  2. Only 15–25% of children wear helmets correctly
     (Thompson and Rivara, 2001).
  
  
  3. Possible barriers to use of helmets: discomfort,
     poor fit, cost, underestimation of risk of injury,
     peer pressure.
  
  
  4. Government standards (Mellion, 2001):
     a. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
     mandatory government standard for all helmets
     made after 1999 incorporates previous volun-
     teer standards from below organizations.
     b.American National Standards Institute (ANSI)—
     minimum requirement for racing helmets.
     c. Snell Foundation—for children, more stringent
     than ANSI
  
  
  
  


• Protective eyewear: Protects from UV radiation,
  flying objects, and irritants


• Cycling gloves: Cushions hand from road shock, pro-
  tects hands in falls


• Cycling shorts: Protect inner thigh, groin, and per-
  ineum from chafing and pressure trauma.

REFERENCES

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ofibrosis in athletes. Sports Med24:221–226, 1997.
Bailey DM: Acute mountain sickness: The ‘poison of the pass.’
West J Med172:399–400, June 2000.
Baker A: Bicycling Medicine: Cycling Nutrition, Physiology, and
Injury Prevention and Treatment for Riders of All Levels. New
York, NY, Fireside, 1998.
Burke ER: Proper fit of the bicycle. Clin Sports Med 13(1):1–14,
1994.
Burke ER: Physiology of higher pedaling cadences: Is Lance on
to something? Cycle Sport JournalOct 2002, pp 116–118.
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ity of a commercial bicycle fitting system. Appl Ergon
29(3):201–211, 1998.

Colorado Cyclist: Bike fit: How to fit your custom bicycle. http://

http://www.coloradocyclist.com/bikefit/, accessed July, 2004.

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Knee Surg, Sports Trauatol, Arthrosc9:48–53, 2001.

Grubb, C: BMX builds racers. Velonews1(1):11, 2003.

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Sport Med13(1):219–234, 1994.

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82 FIGURE SKATING

Roger J Kruse, MD

Jennifer Burke, MD

INTRODUCTION

SCOPE OF PARTICIPATION

• The U.S. Figure Skating Association (USFSA) is the
  national governing body for figure skating and
  includes more than 585 member clubs and over
  167,000 members (USFSA Fact Sheet, 2003).