A large percentage of these injuries can be treated in a cast. Virtually all of them can be splinted for safe transport home. If you sustain a ligament injury or a fracture in your thumb or hand, ask the emergency doctor in ski country to splint it so you may return home for definitive care by your Kansas City orthopedic surgery service. Knee Injuries Knee injuries are very common in the sport of skiing. Many knee injuries do not require surgery, for example, medial collateral ligament injuries.
Many knee injuries require elective surgery to reconstruct the knee for optimum function.
If this ligament is torn, it is very likely you will need surgical repair of your knee. This operation is elective and frequently done best 2-3 weeks after the accident. If you sustain a twisting injury to your knee and are told that you have a torn ligament in your knee, ask the emergency room physician in ski country if it is safe to splint your knee for the trip home. It is the rare instance where this is not possible. Many managed care organizations consider knee ligament injuries elective procedures and may not honor charges for elective surgery done out of their network.