Snowboarder's wrist: its severity compared with Alpine skiing

Although the upper extremity, especially the wrist, has been reported to be the most commonly injured site in snowboarding, the severity of these injuries is still unknown. The purpose of this study is to compare the severity of wrist injuries in snowboarding with those in alpine skiing for insight into the treatment of snowboarder's wrist.

The cases of 11,598 patients injured while snowboarding and skiing who presented to the Zao clinic during the past 7 seasons were reviewed and compared. Demographics were studied, focusing on fractures around the wrist joint. Roentgenographically precise assessment of the distal radial fracture was performed according to AO classification.

Snowboarders were more likely to injure the wrist than were skiers (18.7% vs. 2.5%, p<0.01). In these wrist injuries, distal radial fractures occurred at a rate of 0.28 per 1000 snowboarders and 0.008 per 1000 skiers. Comminuted and articular fractures classified as AO type A3, B and C, which required surgical treatment, were 49.4% of distal radial fractures in snowboarders and 23.8% in skiers.

Wrist injury sustained while snowboarding is characterized as a severe and complex injury. Thus, we call attention to its severity in the treatment of snowboarder's wrist.