Epidemiology of Alpine Skiing and Snowboarding Injuries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

To investigate the incidence of injuries in alpine skiing and snowboarding, while identifying common injury locations and types.

A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted by searching PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL and Scopus in March 2025 (Prospero database CRD420251010125). Studies reporting injury incidence in alpine sports were included. Pooled injury incidence rates were calculated using a random-effects model, with analyzes stratified by participation level, sport, anatomical location, and injury type.

A total of 82 studies were included. Ten studies at the professional level reported 2165 injuries over 21,806,100 runs, corresponding to an overall injury incidence of 0.01 per 1000 runs (95% CI: 0.00-0.03). Professional alpine skiing had an incidence of 0.02 per 1000 runs (95% CI: 0.01-0.06) whereas professional snowboarding showed injury rate of 3.8 per 1000 runs (95% CI: 1.2-12.2). At the amateur level, 43 studies documented a total of 424,517 injuries over 408,624,850 skier-days. This corresponds to a pooled injury incidence of 1.9 injuries per 1000 skier-days (95% CI: 1.3-2.7). Amateur alpine skiing had an injury incidence of 3.8 per 1000 skier-days (95% CI: 2.3-6.1), whereas amateur snowboarding had 1.4 per 1000 skier-days (95% CI: 0.1-27.0). Limb injuries were the most common in both groups, while trunk injuries were additionally frequent among professionals. Among amateurs, fractures and sprains were the most frequently reported injury types, and falls were the leading mechanism of injury. However, substantial between-study heterogeneity (I² > 99% for most analyzes) should be considered when interpreting the pooled estimates.

Professional snowboarders experienced higher injury incidence than alpine skiers, whereas the opposite trend was observed among amateurs. Limb injuries were the most common in both groups, while trunk injuries were more frequent among professionals.