Falls are more common during snowboarding . The natural response to a fall is to stretch out a hand to break the fall, and falls tend to occur more often in beginners. For this reason Scaphoid fractures and Colles fractures of the wrist are a relatively common feature, with around 100,000 wrist fractures worldwide among snowboarders each year.

Scaphoid Wrist Fractures Explained

Colles Wrist Fractures Explained

What can you do to prevent it?

Snowboarders should wear wrist guards as they significantly reduce the incidence of wrist injuries during falls. These are available from all good ski shops..
What should you do if you suffer a wrist fracture injury?

If a fracture of the wrist is suspected, proceed to an accident and emergency department without delay. If a fracture is confirmed by an x-ray, the initial treatment will be supervised by the doctor in the emergency department. If the two fragments of broken bone are shown to be close together, and well aligned, the treatment is simply to put the forearm and wrist into a plaster of paris for a period of 6 weeks.

Residual pain and stiffness is common following wrist fractures. A wrist brace can be helpful to take the strain off the wrist. Hand therapy balls and therapeutic putty are also useful during the rehabilitation period.