Polar Thigh and Other Medical Observations During the Longest Solo Unsupported One-Way Polar Ski Expedition in Antarctica
Antarctic expeditions are exceptional challenges for the human body, and medical issues such as nutritional deficiencies, polar anemia, cold injuries, and even death have been reported. We prospectively investigated medical issues encountered by a 33-year-old female adventurer completing the longest...
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crsagepubl:10.1177/10806032241253817 2024-09-30T14:26:22+00:00 Polar Thigh and Other Medical Observations During the Longest Solo Unsupported One-Way Polar Ski Expedition in Antarctica Scheer, Volker Chandi, Harpreet Valero, Encarna Steinach, Mathias Ultra Sports Science Foundation 2024 http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10806032241253817 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/10806032241253817 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full-xml/10.1177/10806032241253817 en eng SAGE Publications https://journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license Wilderness & Environmental Medicine volume 35, issue 3, page 336-341 ISSN 1080-6032 1545-1534 journal-article 2024 crsagepubl https://doi.org/10.1177/10806032241253817 2024-09-03T04:19:54Z Antarctic expeditions are exceptional challenges for the human body, and medical issues such as nutritional deficiencies, polar anemia, cold injuries, and even death have been reported. We prospectively investigated medical issues encountered by a 33-year-old female adventurer completing the longest solo unsupported one-way polar ski expedition in Antarctica, covering 1484.53 km in 70 days and 16 h from Hercules Inlet to the Ross Ice Shelf, in temperatures estimated from −12 to −50°C and wind speeds of up to 60 mi/h. The adventurer developed a debilitating overuse musculoskeletal neck injury due to poor environmental conditions (ie, poor visibility, wind, and soft snow) while pulling a heavy sled and continuously holding the neck in a flexed position for checking directions on a mounted compass. The adventurer further developed a cold injury on the left calf (polar thigh) that gradually worsened and became ulcerated and more painful throughout the expedition. Potential risk factors included cold ambient temperatures, exposure to windy conditions, and clothing. After the expedition, this injury was treated with a skin graft. Important changes in body mass were observed (ie, reduction of body mass by 26.7% after the expedition) as well as general fatigue, muscle soreness, and sleep deterioration. This case study contributes to the body of knowledge of medical issues during Antarctic expeditions and provides the first scientific account of an adventurer with polar thigh. Further research into this condition is recommended. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ice Shelf Ross Ice Shelf SAGE Publications Antarctic Ross Ice Shelf Hercules ENVELOPE(161.450,161.450,-77.483,-77.483) Hercules Inlet ENVELOPE(-79.000,-79.000,-80.066,-80.066) Wilderness & Environmental Medicine 35 3 336 341 |
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Open Polar |
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SAGE Publications |
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crsagepubl |
language |
English |
description |
Antarctic expeditions are exceptional challenges for the human body, and medical issues such as nutritional deficiencies, polar anemia, cold injuries, and even death have been reported. We prospectively investigated medical issues encountered by a 33-year-old female adventurer completing the longest solo unsupported one-way polar ski expedition in Antarctica, covering 1484.53 km in 70 days and 16 h from Hercules Inlet to the Ross Ice Shelf, in temperatures estimated from −12 to −50°C and wind speeds of up to 60 mi/h. The adventurer developed a debilitating overuse musculoskeletal neck injury due to poor environmental conditions (ie, poor visibility, wind, and soft snow) while pulling a heavy sled and continuously holding the neck in a flexed position for checking directions on a mounted compass. The adventurer further developed a cold injury on the left calf (polar thigh) that gradually worsened and became ulcerated and more painful throughout the expedition. Potential risk factors included cold ambient temperatures, exposure to windy conditions, and clothing. After the expedition, this injury was treated with a skin graft. Important changes in body mass were observed (ie, reduction of body mass by 26.7% after the expedition) as well as general fatigue, muscle soreness, and sleep deterioration. This case study contributes to the body of knowledge of medical issues during Antarctic expeditions and provides the first scientific account of an adventurer with polar thigh. Further research into this condition is recommended. |
author2 |
Ultra Sports Science Foundation |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Scheer, Volker Chandi, Harpreet Valero, Encarna Steinach, Mathias |
spellingShingle |
Scheer, Volker Chandi, Harpreet Valero, Encarna Steinach, Mathias Polar Thigh and Other Medical Observations During the Longest Solo Unsupported One-Way Polar Ski Expedition in Antarctica |
author_facet |
Scheer, Volker Chandi, Harpreet Valero, Encarna Steinach, Mathias |
author_sort |
Scheer, Volker |
title |
Polar Thigh and Other Medical Observations During the Longest Solo Unsupported One-Way Polar Ski Expedition in Antarctica |
title_short |
Polar Thigh and Other Medical Observations During the Longest Solo Unsupported One-Way Polar Ski Expedition in Antarctica |
title_full |
Polar Thigh and Other Medical Observations During the Longest Solo Unsupported One-Way Polar Ski Expedition in Antarctica |
title_fullStr |
Polar Thigh and Other Medical Observations During the Longest Solo Unsupported One-Way Polar Ski Expedition in Antarctica |
title_full_unstemmed |
Polar Thigh and Other Medical Observations During the Longest Solo Unsupported One-Way Polar Ski Expedition in Antarctica |
title_sort |
polar thigh and other medical observations during the longest solo unsupported one-way polar ski expedition in antarctica |
publisher |
SAGE Publications |
publishDate |
2024 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10806032241253817 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/10806032241253817 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full-xml/10.1177/10806032241253817 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(161.450,161.450,-77.483,-77.483) ENVELOPE(-79.000,-79.000,-80.066,-80.066) |
geographic |
Antarctic Ross Ice Shelf Hercules Hercules Inlet |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Ross Ice Shelf Hercules Hercules Inlet |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ice Shelf Ross Ice Shelf |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ice Shelf Ross Ice Shelf |
op_source |
Wilderness & Environmental Medicine volume 35, issue 3, page 336-341 ISSN 1080-6032 1545-1534 |
op_rights |
https://journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1177/10806032241253817 |
container_title |
Wilderness & Environmental Medicine |
container_volume |
35 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
336 |
op_container_end_page |
341 |
_version_ |
1811646735750004736 |