Traumatic spinal cord injuries from snowboarding.
BACKGROUND
Little information has yet been made available on the types and mechanisms of snowboard-related spinal cord injuries or their neurologic involvement.


OBJECTIVE
To review the cause and types of spinal cord injuries seen in snowboarders.


METHODS
Case series; Level of evidence, 4.


METHODS
The subjects were 18 patients (mean age, 24.0 years) referred to the authors' institution for neurologic deficits associated with spinal injuries between November 1, 1995, and April 9, 2005. The clinical features of these patients were reviewed with respect to epidemiologic factors, mechanism of injury, fracture pattern, and neurologic status.


RESULTS
The 18 snowboarders with spinal cord injuries constituted a very homogeneous group. First, almost all patients (94.4%) were young men. Second, most of the patients were intermediate or expert boarders. Third, the most common cause of injury was a failure of intentional jumping (83.3%). Fourth, the most commonly affected site was the thoracolumbar junction (66.7%), and the most common type of fracture was an anterior dislocation fracture (66.7%). Finally, in the thoracolumbar group, most patients (83.3%) were classed as Frankel grade A or B.


CONCLUSIONS
It is fundamentally important that snowboarders, especially young men, be made aware of the spinal injury risk associated with jumping.
Wakahara
Kazuhiko
K
Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Gifu University School of Medicine, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu, 501-1194, Japan.
Matsumoto
Kazu
K
Sumi
Hiroshi
H
Sumi
Yasuhiko
Y
Shimizu
Katsuji
K
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012865:Skiing / Q000293:injuries*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology