Eyewear-Related Eye Injuries in Snow Skiing

Eye injuries have historically represented a small percentage of skiing injuries. With the passage of ASTM Specification for Eye Protective Devices (F 659) in 1980 it was anticipated that broken glass-related injuries would decrease. This paper examines the history of eyewear-related eye injuries in skiing by pursuing several approaches: (1) a review of the literature, (2) a review of the injuries reported to the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, (3) a review of the National Ski Areas Association/ASTM 3-year study, (4) a review of the 11-year Sugarbush North study, and (5) a telephone survey of 29 ski area medical facilities and nearby hospitals. The following observations are made: (1) eye injuries in skiing where eyewear is mentioned are generally minor and infrequent, approximately 18 per year in the United States and (2) injuries as a result of broken lens glass are extremely rare and appear to be almost nonexistent since the passage of the eyewear standards.