title: Snowboarding and ski boarding injuries in Niigata, Japan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to compare the injury patterns and incidence of snowboarding and ski boarding injuries with that of alpine skiing in 2000 to 2005, as there are few previous studies comparing these 3 sports, especially in Asia.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The injury patterns are different among the 3 snow sports.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive epidemiology study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects were alpine skiers (1240 cases), snowboarders (2220 cases), and ski boarders (132 cases) who were injured in 2 ski resorts located in Niigata prefecture in Japan and visited the authors' clinics in these ski resorts between 2000 and 2005. On visiting the clinics, patients completed a questionnaire reviewing the circumstances surrounding the injury event, and physicians documented the diagnosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The injury rate, which was based on all purchased lift tickets, in snowboarding decreased gradually, although it was still 2 times higher than that of alpine skiing. Snowboarding and ski boarding had a higher fracture and dislocation rate. Both sports also had a 4 times higher rate of injuries because of jumping. The characteristics of ski boarding were a lower head and neck injury rate and collision injury rate than those of the other 2 snow sports, as well as a 2 times higher rate of fractures compared with alpine skiing injuries and a 1.4 times higher incidence than that of snowboarding injuries. Of the fractures caused by ski boarding accidents, 39.6% affected the lower leg bones.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Injury prevention strategies should focus on jumps for snowboarders and ski boarders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Juntendo University School of Medicine, 2-1-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, 113-8421, Tokyo, Japan. u-sakamo@med.juntendo.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: Keishoku
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakuraba
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012865:Skiing / Q000293:injuries*