 Poster: A snowHead
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I have finally persuaded my sister-in-law and her partner to come skiing with us next year. They are both newbies but my sister-in-law has a bit of a dodgy knee. She can walk on it okay but after a while of intense activity it may get sore and she will have to rest it.
She is really keen and wants as much time on the snow as possible. My question is which activity will have the least impact on her knee: skiing or boarding?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hmm. Not a straightforward question. How old is she, how fit, and what other sports does she do?
Serious knee injury is probably less likely on a snowboard (at least with both feet in the bindings) but snowboarders fall a lot when learning and spend a lot of time on their knees (it's easier to get up onto the toe edge, for most people, and it's difficult to just stand there - that's why snowboarders sit or kneel around the piste!). Can whack the knees falling, too. The learning curve is steeper - a motivated youngster can be boarding red runs in good style at the end of a week - but a lot more painful.
A reasonably athletic person with decent balance can learn to ski without falling much, at all.
Has she had the knee problem looked at?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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SCollier1, as the proud possessor of two dodgy knees, I'm just grateful that I could ski before it all went pear-shaped! I've been advised by many to switch to snowboarding, but long discussions with people who really know their business and the problems with my knees have convinced me that actually learning to snowboard may lead to more problems. I'm still tempted as I believe it is the only way I can safely return to off-piste, but all that kneeling, etc would cause me a lot of pain.
You say she and her partner are newbies, so to be honest there is not much difference in terms of load on the knee in the initial learning. Definitely swings and roundabouts in the early phases. A lot depends on what kind of activity aggravates the problem, how she is taught, how she responds to the challenge of learning a totally new sport and snow conditions when she starts. If it is nice and soft and easily displaced in the snow plough or whatever it is not so bad. If it is hard-packed artificial snow/natural mix or icy, both will cause her problems.
However, she does need to have the problem properly diagnosed. It could just be that she had a minor injury at some point, babied it as you do, lost some muscle and then entered into a vicious circle of pain, rest, return, pain, rest return with resulting muscle loss and a incorrectly tracking knee cap. With good focussed physio and training she will regain so much more than just her knee! Even if it is something more fundamental, a proper diagnosis will help her to get it sorted out and improve her quality of life all round.
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A lot of knee problems can be resolved or at least reduced by losing weight and or strengthening the muscles around. Worth ticking off before visiting a GP who advises seeing a specialist who advises surgery, when there was no need in the first place.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Thanks guys. I'll tell her to lose weight 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I learned to ski without ACL in my right knee which I busted as teenager and never had reconstructed. Sometimes after a big ski day bashing moguls my knees would hurt a bit particularly as I am walking up the stairs, so I started wearing knee supporting bandages and they seem to help. Otherwise I didn't have much problems learning and ski mostly off-piste now. Some information about injuries related to skiing and snowboarding can be found at this link.
http://www.ski-injury.com
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never summer, Thanks for the link. An excellent resource.
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Samerberg Sue, Seconded.
Here is another good resource http://www.kneeguru.co.uk/ I ruptured my ACL skiing and had it reconstructed and I tore my medial meniscus cartilage and had some of it removed even after that surgery I still get quite a bit of knee pain. My physio recommended a particular knee support which does help but what helps most is building up my quads and hamstring. However getting some specialist advice is the best first step including making sure that the exercise to build up the quads and hamstrings aren't going to aggrevate any damage.
Last edited by After all it is free  on Mon 27-08-12 13:20; edited 1 time in total
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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snowboard: as a beginner may spend some time kneeling
ski: legs move independantly so more risk of twisting knee/damaging ligaments
tough one
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I'd say boarding.
The kneeling required while learning snowboarding can be alleviated by wearing knee guard. Once upright, it's less stressful on the knee than skiing.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Once you can board to an OK standard I'd say boarding is probably easier on the knees but as others have said the learning process can involve a few falls. However, knee pads will help mitigate the kneeling.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I'd go with boarding. As other have said less chance of knee damage once you're up and running, but have other have said be careful when you're only strapped in on one foot getting off the lift which can put a lot of stress on the strapped in knee if you get it wrong.
I'd also add that binding set up is quite important. If you're bindings are set up wrong, and everyones set up is different, it can put a bit of stress on the knees. You could go to a shop with a stance measuring/setting up machine or trial and error.
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Boarding but as above it's not clear cut particularly as a beginner. The twisting of knees that occurs when rolling over say from heel to toeside to stand up can be a problem as can the impact on kneecaps. & don't ignore the alignment issue above - if you are naturally duck, trad stances can feel very odd and vice versa and of course a beginner won't hav eobjective experience on which to base a decision as to what is right.
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You know it makes sense.
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...my sister-in-law has a bit of a dodgy knee. She can walk on it okay but after a while of intense activity it may get sore and she will have to rest it.
She is really keen and wants as much time on the snow as possible.
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Call me old fashioned but neither activity is exactly great for dodgy knees. Isn't it better to get the thing properly diagnosed and fixed first?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I learned to ski without ACL in my right knee
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Of course you did. It's a little know fact that you don't need an ACL and your knees will still function correctly. Must admit it passed me by.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Isn't it better to get the thing properly diagnosed and fixed first?
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Of course, which is probably why I, and Samerberg Sue, and NickyJ all mentioned the need to get the knee looked at!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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pam w, actually, you suggested snowboarding would be best and then asked if she'd had it looked at 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Nickski wrote: |
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I learned to ski without ACL in my right knee
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Of course you did. It's a little know fact that you don't need an ACL and your knees will still function correctly. Must admit it passed me by. |
It is entirely possible to function without an ACL you need to build up the surrounding muscles to compensate and people have run marathons without there ACL however that is a straight line activity and the ACLs function is to provide lateral activity. My friend tried to carry on skiing and playing hockey Without his ACL and he ended up coming of the pitch after every match in agony with his knee swollen up and caused a lot of other damage by doing this. When I found out what I had done to mine he was the first to advocate getting the reconstruction if I wanted to carry on playing hockey and skiing. What I also find interesting is the differences in how people find how stable there knee is minus the ACL I personally could literally feel my knee doing a figure of 8 motion literally ever step I took walking.
However this is a massive diversion from the original topic as an ACL rupture it normal caused by a significant trauma and the followed by prolonged swelling something that serious I would have expected the person under discussion to have seeker medical help already. Cartelidge damage is far more likely as that can be just done by kneeling down!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I should have added that my friend said that skiing once he had an ACL again was so much easier.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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The ACL's principal function is not
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to provide lateral activity
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It is principally keeping the femur and tibia stable and in-line in the 'vertical' plane with additional function in the 'horizontal' plane due to the fact they are not themselves completely vertically aligned.
http://www.aosportsmedicine.com/the-anterior-cruciate-ligament/function-of-the-acl
You can theoretically ski without a full ACL but skiing without one altogether on big mogul days. I doubt it.
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| Nickski wrote: |
You can theoretically ski without a full ACL but skiing without one altogether on big mogul days. I doubt it. |
You can definitely ski just fine without an ACL provided your surrounding muscle strength is very good - moguls or not. The thing that made me get mine reconstructed was ultimately stairs and steps although it is a bit of an advantage to still be able to walk at the end of a day's skiing too
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I hope the OP's sister-in-law won't read this thread - it would put her off for sure!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Nickski wrote: |
The ACL's principal function is not
| Quote: |
to provide lateral activity
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It is principally keeping the femur and tibia stable and in-line in the 'vertical' plane with additional function in the 'horizontal' plane due to the fact they are not themselves completely vertically aligned.
http://www.aosportsmedicine.com/the-anterior-cruciate-ligament/function-of-the-acl
You can theoretically ski without a full ACL but skiing without one altogether on big mogul days. I doubt it. |
Btw that was a typo I meant to say "stability" there rather than "activity"
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There are some rather 'dodgy' comments on this thread, especially regarding ACL function/injury. As some people have said - your friend needs to identify what is wrong with her knee - any specific advice based upon 'dodgy' is dodgy.
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