Comprehensive Review of Skiing and Snowboarding Injuries

Abstract

Skiing and snowboarding have increased in popularity since the 1960s. Both sports are responsible for a substantial number of musculoskeletal injuries treated annually by orthopaedic surgeons. Specific injury patterns and mechanisms associated with skiing and snowboarding have been identified. No anatomic location is exempt from injury, including the head, spine, pelvis, and upper and lower extremities. In these sports, characteristic injury mechanisms often are related to the position of the limbs during injury, the athlete's expertise level, and equipment design. Controversy exists about the effectiveness of knee bracing and wrist guards in reducing the incidence of these injuries. Understanding these injury patterns, proper training, and the use of injury prevention measures, such as protective equipment, may reduce the overall incidence of these potentially debilitating injuries.

Management of injuries in snowboarders: rehabilitation and return to activity

“…Rotator-cuff injury tends to occur with falls forward, as do most shoulder injuries in snowboarding. 1 Appropriate management ultimately depends on the extent of rotator-cuff tearing, patient age, and concomitant injuries. 26 For acute, full-thickness tears, surgery is often warranted, followed by extensive physical therapy.…”

“… 28 Ankle injuries are more common among athletes who wear soft boots, and knee injuries are more common among athletes who wear hard boots. 1 Lower-extremity injuries in snowboarding also range from ligament sprains to fractures, and can involve the entire lower extremity from hip to toe.…”

“… 2 Lower-extremity injuries are decreasing in incidence with advances in boot and binding technology. 1 Not only does snowboarding result in injury patterns unique to the sport, but the presence of snowboarders on the mountain has also been shown to increase overall injury rates to all snow-sport participants. 5 Head injuries are also a significant cause of injury and disability among snowboarders.…”

Retrospective analysis of injury trends in recreational skiers and snowboarders in Erciyes Ski Centre

“…Alpine skiing and snowboard have gained increasing worldwide popularity as both recreational activities and winter sports for the last years. However, it is well known that both activities are hazardous because it is the fact that engaging in alpine skiing and snowboarding are associated with a risk of severe injury [1]. Nowadays, the new technology ski and snowboard equipment provide the opportunity for skiing and snowboarding at the higher speed.…”

“…Lately, numerous researchers have made efforts for the prevention of injuries in professional and recreational skiing and snowboarding. These researchers reported that the skiing/boarding injury rate is significantly related to instinct factors such as age, gender, skiing ability, experience and external factors such as snow, slope, weather and terrain conditions, obstacles including other skiers, high speeds, trees, poles, etc [1,8]. Moreover, because alpine skiing and snowboarding are different skiing disciplines, it is likely that there are differences in the mechanisms of injury.…”