Ira Gorman, PT, MSPH, Physical Therapy, Regis University, 3333 Regis Blvd., Mail Code G-4, Denver, CO 80221, 303-458-4986, igorman@regis.edu, A. Stewart Levy, MD, Intermountain Neurosurgery, 4101 West Conejos Place, Suite 225, Denver, CO 80204, Allison Hawkes, MD, Trauma Service, Centura Health, 4231 West 16th Ave, Denver, CO 80204, and George Rossie, PhD, Neuropsychology, Centura Health, 4200 W. Conejos Place, Denver, CO 80204.

Helmet counts were performed at 8 Colorado ski resorts over a 5 year period to determine helmet usage in skiers and snowboarders. Comparison of usage numbers with injury data was done to assess the effectiveness of helmets. Slope counts performed from the 1998-99 season through the 2002-03 season observed 75395 skiers and 16760 snowboarders at 8 different Colorado ski resorts. 332 skiers and snowboarders that were admitted to a Level I trauma center from 1994-2001 with a head injury diagnosis were used to perform a risk analysis. Data obtained from the trauma registry on skiers and snowboarders admitted with a brain injury or other diagnoses were analyzed and odds ratios were calculated using slope head counts and trauma data to estimate risk reduction. Helmet use on the slopes increased from 8.1% among skiers in the 1998-99 season to 28.2% in the 2002-03 season. For snowboarders, helmet use on the slopes increased from 23.8% in the 1998-99 season to 45.6% in the 2002-03 season. Comparison of helmet use on the slopes with the helmet use reported by skiers and snowboarders admitted to a Level I Trauma Center revealed that helmets reduced the risk of brain injury by 40% (p<0.01). Helmet use on the slopes at 8 Colorado ski resorts increased steadily from 1998-2003 and was higher among snowboarders than skiers. Wearing a helmet reduced the risk of a skier or snowboarder of sustaining a brain injury while also not increasing the risk of other injuries.

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