Knee injuries, more specifically Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tears, are much less common in snowboarding than in alpine skiing. However, an ACL injury is a season-ending injury and the most common injury requiring surgery in snowboarding. ACL injuries are more prevalent in advanced/expert level snowboarders and are most often the result of a fall after a jump. The mechanism of injury for ACL tears in snowboarding is different from alpine skiing. ACL tears in snowboarding are thought to be due to a “quadriceps induced” injury, where there is an imbalance between the quadriceps and hamstrings. This can occur when you land flat off of a jump without much of a bend in the knee. Therefore, properly scoping out the landing before hitting a jump or a cliff, as well as adding hamstring strengthening to your dry-land training can go a long ways in preventing ACL injuries in snowboarding. Additionally, undergoing jump and landing retraining with a licensed physical therapist can further prevent injury.
