Are snowboarders more likely to damage their spines than skiers? Lessons learned from a study of spinal injuries from the Otago skifields in New Zealand.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to determine the incidence, nature, and circumstances of spinal injuries caused by skiing and snowboarding at the Otago skifields and treated at Dunedin Hospital during the period 1991 to 2002.

METHODS: Patients were identified from the audit records of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Dunedin Hospital.

RESULTS: Twenty-five cases were included in the study, 18 snowboarders, and 7 skiers. Twenty-two cases had spinal fractures, with skiers having a higher proportion of burst fractures and multiple fractures. The most frequently fractured vertebrae were T12 and L1, and wedge fractures were the most common fracture type. Jump-related activities were the most common cause of injury in snowboarders, in contrast to skiers whose injuries were more commonly fall-related.

CONCLUSIONS: Skier-related spinal injuries were rare and sporadic over the study period, whereas snowboarder-related spinal injuries were more frequent and more recent in occurrence.