[Snowboard sports technique, injury pattern, prevention]

Although, in Europe, snowboarding is a young sport, it has already established itself and, in common with Alpine skiing, is represented in the Olympics. Its biomechanical aspects (technique, shoeboard connection), lead not only to a typical pattern of movements, but also to a snowboard-specific pattern of injuries, which differs from that seen with Alpine skiing. In the case of snowboarding, the upper limbs are appreciably more often involved in injuries than are the lower extremities. The most common injuries are fractures of or close to the wrist. Since many children and adolescents are to be found among snowboarding fans, the percentage of epiphyseal injuries is high. Depending on the style employed-Alpine or freestyle-the risk of lower limb injuries differ in terms of ankles and knee injuries. Through the use of special protective equipment, such as gloves provided with extra protection for wrist and fingers, (possibly also helmets, knee and elbow protectors for beginners), together with improvements in technique in a snowboard school, and the optimisation of the materials used by the industry, the risk of injury can be reduced.