Abstract
Snowboarding was started in the 1970s, debuted as an Olympic sport in 1998, and continues to grow in popularity among recreational and professional athletes. The injury rates for snowboarding tend to be higher than for downhill ski disciplines and have been increasing over the past 10 years. Injury rates and profiles vary primarily across skill levels. On the whole, the most common snowboarding injuries are upper extremity injuries, particularly wrist sprains and fractures. As an athlete’s skill level increases, particularly into the professional arena, their injury risk profile changes. Professional athletes suffer a lower proportion of wrist injuries and a higher proportion of lower extremity injuries (especially knee injuries) and concussions. Notable risk factors for injury in snowboarding include younger age, beginner level, participation at a terrain park, and suboptimal environmental conditions. There is data to show that wearing a helmet can help prevent head injuries in snowboarders and that using wrist guards can help prevent wrist injuries. Education about injury risk factors, particularly after an acute event, is important to prevent further injury going forward.
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VanBaak, K. (2020). Snowboarding. In: Khodaee, M., Waterbrook, A., Gammons, M. (eds) Sports-related Fractures, Dislocations and Trauma. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36790-9_71
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