Wrist biomechanics during snowboard falls

Abstract

Wrist injuries during snowboarding are very common. An instrumented snowboarding glove was developed to measure flexion/extension of the wrist in the sagittal plane, as well as forces and moments at the hand and wrist joint during snowboarding. On-slope data were analyzed from 128 falls resulting in hand impacts for 20 snowboarders. Impact forces and wrist extension moments varied widely by age, experience level, and fall direction. Backward falls resulted in significantly higher maximum force than forward falls ( p = 0.038). Adults had significantly higher maximum force ( p = 0.026) and maximum extension moments compared to young adults ( p = 0.049). Beginners suffered more impacts that resulted in higher maximum loads generated and wrist angles that did not reach terminal extension. A significant percentage of all falls resulted in wrist extension near terminal extension. This study provides novel hand and wrist biomechanical data in snowboarding falls that can be used to guide the development of wrist protector standards and products.