• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.33-39
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• 2007

Purpose: Few studies have been done for spinal injuries after skiing and snowboarding accidents. Assuming that the riding patterns of skiing and snowboarding were different, we analyzed the differences between the mechanisms, diagnoses and levels of spinal injuries caused by them. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of spinal hazards associated with skiing and snowboarding in order to educate skiers and snowboarders. Methods: We conducted a prospective study of 96 patients who had sustained spinal injuries as a result of skiing and snowboarding accidents from January 2003 to March 2006. We used a questionnaire, radiological studies, history taking, and physical examinations. We analyzed the mechanism of injury, the level of spinal injury, the severity of spinal injury, and the Abbreviated Injury Scale scores (AIS score). We used the t-test and the chi-square test. Results: The skiing and the snowboarding injury group included in 96 patients. The skiing injury group included 30 patients (31.2%), and the snowboarding injury group included the remaining 66 patients (69.8%). The primary mechanism of injury in skiing was collisions and in snowboarding was slip downs (p=0.508). The primary level of spinal injury in skiing and snowboarding was at the L-spine level (p=0.547). The most common athlete ability of the injured person was at the intermediate level (p=0.954). The injured were most commonly at the beginner or the intermediate level (p=0.302). The primary diagnosis of spinal injury in skiing and snowboarding was back spain (p=0.686). The AIS scores did not differed between the two groups (p=0.986). Conclusion: The most common spinal injury after skiing and snowboarding accidents was back sprain. There was no difference in the severity of spinal injury between skiing and snowboarding accidents.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.53-58
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• 2008

Purpose: Skiing and snowboarding are becoming increasingly popular. Accordingly, the incidences of injuries among skiers and snowboarders are also increasing. The purpose of this study was to investigate the injury patterns of and the contributing factors to head injuries of skiers and snowboarders and to evaluate the differences in characteristics between skiing and snowboarding head injuries. Methods: One-hundred patients who visited the emergency department of Wonju Christian Hospital between January 2005 and March 2007 due to head injuries from skiing and snowboarding were enrolled. The mechanisms and the histories of the injuries were investigated by surveying the patients, and the degrees of head injuries were estimated by using brain CT and the Glasgow Coma Scale. The degrees and the characteristics of brain injuries were also analyzed and compared between skiers and snowboarders. Results: Out of 100 patients, 39 were injured by skiing, and 61 were injured by snowboarding. The mean age of the skiers was $26.7{\pm}10.0$, and that of the snowboarders was $26.7{\pm}6.2$. The percentage of male skiers was 43.6%, and that of snowboarders was 63.9%. The most frequent initial chief complaints of head-injured skiers and snowboarders were headache and mental change. The most common mechanism of injuries was a slip down. The mean Abbreviated Injury Scale Score (AIS score) of the skier group was $4.5{\pm}2.1$ and that of the snowboarder group was $5.9{\pm}5.0$ (p=0.222). The percentage of helmet users was 7.1% among skiers and 20.8% among snowboarders (p=0.346). Head injuries were composed of cerebral concussion (92.0%) and intracranial hemorrhage (8.0%). Intracranial hemorrhage was most frequently caused by falling down (62.5%). Conclusion: The most common type of head injury to skiers and snowboarders was cerebral concussion, and severe damage was usually caused by jumping and falling down. No differences in the characteristics of the head injuries existed between skiing and snowboarding injuries.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the characteristics and severity of wrist injuries in snowboarding. Methods: December 2005 to February 2008, Snowboarders who experienced wrist injures were included in this study. On the basis of the medical records and radiographic evaluation, the severity of distal radius fracture was classified according to the Arbeitsgemeinschaft fur Osteosynthesefragen/Association for the Study of Internal Fixation (AO/ASIF) classification. Results: Most of the injured snowboarders were a either of the beginner (35 cases, 46.1%) or the intermediate (27 cases, 35.5%) level. The most common cause of injury in snowboarding was a slip down (60 cases, 78.9%). Comminuted and articular fractures classified as AO types A3, B, and C, which required surgical reduction, made up 42.3% of the distal radial fractures in snowboarders. When we analyzed the differences in severity between the educated and the non-educated groups, an A2 type injury in the AO classification was the most common type of injury in the educated group (20 cases, 38.5%), it means less severe fractures ocurred in the educated group (p=0.045). The most frequent injury mechanism of fractures was slip down (48 cases, 63.2%), and a slip down backwards was the dominant type of slip down (36 cases, 75.0%) (p=0.031). Conclusion: Among the snowboarders in this study who suffered self-down injury to the wrist, more fractures were associated with a backwards slip down than with a forward slip down due to over extension. For educated snowboarders the severity of fracture was lower than it was for uneducated snowboarders.

• Journal of Korean Orthopaedic Sports Medicine
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.22-24
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• 2004

Snowboarding has become one of the premier alpine sports. The past decade has seen the popularity of snowboarding increase dramatically and the recent Winter Olympic Game showcased the strong visual appeal of the sport and the youth-oriented lifestyle and culture that accompanies it. The injury profile of the sport has also undergone change along with technological advances in boot and binding systems and the changing demographics of the sports participants. Central to the development of injury-prevention strategies is knowledge of the profile of injuries that occur, understanding those who are at particular risk and, if possible, the biomechanical factors involved in each injury type. Snowboarding was initially considered a dangerous, uncontrolled, alpine sport - an opinion based on little or no scientific evidence. That evidence has rapidly grown over the past decade and we now know that snowboard injury rates are no different to those in skiing; however, the injury profile is different. The purpose of this review is to give some perspective to the current snowboard injury literature. It discusses not only the demographic profile of those injured and the type of injuries that occur, but also gives some insight into the progress that has occurred in determining the impact of specific prevention strategies, such as splints to prevent injuries to the wrist/forearm. As the literature indicates, however, some things will not change, e.g. injuries are more likely to occur in beginners and lessons need to be reinforced as a fundamental aspect of any injury-prevention strategy.

• Journal of Korean Orthopaedic Sports Medicine
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.94-99
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• 2011

Purpose: As the number of people enjoying skiing and snowboarding which are two popular winter sports has been increasing, wearing helmet during doing these sports has been needed for safety. The rates of head or face injury have decreased after using helmet. However the effect that wearing helmet has on cervical damage is not yet to be known. So through this research we intend to be helpful in developing effective program and safety equipment. Materials and Methods: During two seasons from December 2009 to march 2011, cased 658 cervical injuries within 14538 admittance in medical center of major resort due to skiing and snow-boarding injuries. For survey and research model, one year before the research year conducted a pilot study. Admittance were 432 male and 226 female, advanced 273 and 385 novice. We divided them into two groups depending on wearing helmet, measured cervical damage ratio and injury mechanism, and researched the severity of damage and diagnosed injury. Each group used SPSS 12.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) to process data statistically. Results: The number of patients was 312 in skier and 346 in snow boarder. Patients wearing helmet were 146 in skier and 127 in snow boarder. Classification of each injuries were confirmed as 292 cases of simple sprain, 359 bruising, 6 cervical fractures and 1 case of dislocation. Classification of injury mechanisms were 287 of human collision, 212 material collision, 108 of slip down by oneself, 39 of falling and 12 cases of etc. In cases wearing helmet ski 78/ snow board 70 were simple sprain, ski 64/ snowboard 68 were shown as bruising, ski 1/ snow board 2 had cervical fracture or dislocation. The ratio of cervical sprain increased in cases of wearing helmet compared to non-wearing cases and there was a statistical significance (p<0.001). The ratio of cervical contusion increased significantly in non-wearing helmet user (p<0.05). However, there was no significant increase in fracture and dislocation compared between helmet user and non-user (p> 0.05). Conclusion: In this study, wearing helmet had no relation to additional cervical injury occurrence or severity among skiers and snow boarders. The ratio of cervical sprain increased significantly in helmet user with person to person accident. However, the cervical contusion decreased. On this ground, further biomechanical studies are required and modified helmet will be necessary.