Protect and defend: Wristguards, helmets a must

By Matt Boxler

Besides a couple of shredded thumb ligaments and a few frostbitten toes (and I’m vigorously knocking on wood here), my recreational ski and snowboard career has gone largely injury-free over the years. Still knocking on wood, I certainly hope to keep it that way.

From what I’m observing these days, however, the same cannot be said by a growing number of riders – especially the younger – among us. Rare is the day I’m at a resort that I don’t see a sled or two dispatched by the ski patrol to transport a wrecked rider from the terrain park to the medical hut.

It’s not just my unscientific observations either. According to a study of outdoor recreational injuries published in the June 2008 issue of Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, snowboarding was the leading activity associated with outdoor recreational injuries. These findings were based on data collected from some five dozen hospital emergency departments over a two-year period from January 2004 through December 2005.

The study found that injury rates were highest among 15-19-year-olds and were higher among males than females. Upper extremity fractures (27.4 percent) and sprains (23.9 percent) were the leading injuries, while concussions or head trauma were diagnosed in just 6.5 percent of the injuries.

“I specialize in the upper extremities so I very commonly see snowboarders with wrist fractures and dislocations,” said Dr. Steve Lee, an orthopedic surgeon at the New York University Hospital for Joint Diseases. Dr. Lee is an avid skier who owns a home at Stratton Mountain. Typically, he sees patients who are following up after receiving their initial treatment at resort medical facilities or emergency rooms in ski/snowboard country.

“It’s definitely a younger crowd who are injuring themselves, on average, anywhere from the teens to the 30s,” Dr. Lee said. “It’s an aspect of doing things at a higher speed, higher jumps, higher energy.” He said a rider with a fractured wrist could be out of action for as many as six months, taking into account time for healing and rehabilitation.

Dr. Lee said the use of wrist guards have been proven to reduce injuries among snowboarders by as much as 50 percent. However, he cautioned that wrist guards are extremely variable, and he’s currently studying these differences and their relation to injury prevention.

Some wrist guards are shorter than others, some are built into the gloves while others are separate, and some are rigid throughout while others feature a graduated degree of rigidity and flexibility. Dr. Lee said he’s seen patients with bones that have broken above the wrist guard, but said it’s always better to have a guard than not.

“Ideally, you want a wrist guard that is on the longer side, and stiff,” he said. “And also I recommend a helmet. That goes for skiing and snowboarding.”

Andras Fulop, a certified strength and conditioning coach and therapist who intervenes on injuries in young athletes before they can happen, says that in some way, the fact that both feet are bound to the same device may be seen as a blessing for the lower body of snowboarders. “This reduces the likelihood of hip and ankle related injuries. The upper body, however, ends up taking the brunt of force. Since both legs are attached to the same binding, the only elements that can stop the velocity of a fall are the hands and wrists. Head injuries also occur in snowboarders, however, are not nearly as common as wrist and hand injuries are.”

Fulop, a self-described passionate snowboarder who spends most of his time riding in Connecticut and southern Vermont, said his own history of sprains and strains encouraged him to study methods of preventing such injuries. He says wrist-guards are the single most important piece of equipment to reduce snowboarding injuries.

“The greatest difference a parent can make in the safety of his or her child is by educating them on the importance of safety gear, and providing the right type,” Fulop said. Citing a 2005 study on snowboarding injuries, Fulop said, “Wrist guards and helmets were found to be the most critical elements of injury prevention, as well as going only on runs appropriate to the person’s ability level.”

In recent years, both parents and mountain resorts are taking notice. Waterville Valley Resort created a special Progression Snowboard Camp designed for entry level riders ages 9 to young adult. “The Camp was created in direct response to parents’ requests for an intro to the park for their kids,” said Deb Moore, director of marketing at Waterville.

This camp, taught in the blue square Burton Progression Park on “Valley Run,” explores all aspects of park riding, including park safety and etiquette. “The Park is built with smaller features and jumps and has special stop and drop zones with signage explaining what the feature is and the best way to approach it,” Moore said. “And here’s a special bonus feature – if riders stay after camp and watch the Smartstyle Video, we reward them with a free Sunday-Friday, non-holiday lift ticket.”

Another excellent way to prevent injury is through appropriate exercises, Fulop said. “Just as strengthening the ankle of a basketball player will reduce the likelihood of ankle sprains and fractures, proper strength and flexibility exercises for the wrists can achieve the same objective for snowboarders. Participants can do this by adding a few exercises to their existing exercise regiments.”

(First published in January 2009 New England Ski Journal.)