Snowboarding injuries in children.

OBJECTIVE

To study injury patterns of snowboarding trauma in children.

DESIGN

A retrospective case series.

SETTING

A major pediatric trauma centre.

PATIENTS: A cohort of 113 children (97 boys, 16 girls), mean age 13.9 years, who sustained 118 injuries secondary to snowboarding.

INTERVENTIONS: All fractures were treated by immobilization in a cast; 19 children required a closed reduction.

OUTCOME MEASURES: Sex and age of patients, mechanism of injury, injury sustained, treatments and complications.

RESULTS

Falls on the outstretched hand from a loss of balance accounted for 66 (57%) of the injuries, uncontrolled falls for 42 (36%) and collisions for 5 (4%). Seventy-nine percent of the injuries were to the upper extremity, whereas 7% were to the lower extremity.

CONCLUSIONS

The predominance of snowboarding injuries of the upper extremity seen in children differs significantly from those in adults in whom lower extremity injuries are more common.