Wardner Software

The effectiveness of helmet wear in skiers and snowboarders: a systematic review.

Br J Sports Med. 2010 May 29;

Cusimano MD, Kwok J

Objective To summarise the best available evidence to determine the impact of helmet use on head injuries, neck injuries and cervical spine injuries in skiers and snowboarders. Data sources Relevant publications were identified through electronic searches of MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL and the Cochrane Library databases (1966-2009) in addition to manual reference checks of all included articles. Review methods 45 articles were identified through our systematic literature search. Of these, 10 studies met the inclusion criteria after two levels of screening. Two independent reviewers critically appraised the studies. Data were extracted on the primary outcomes of interest: head injury, neck injury and cervical spine injury. Studies were assessed for quality by the criteria of Downs and Black. Results Studies reviewed indicate that helmet wear reduces the risk of head injuries in skiing and snowboarding. Four case-control studies reported a reduction in the risk of head injury with helmet use ranging from 15% to 60%. Another cohort study found a significantly lower incidence of head injuries involving loss of consciousness in helmet users (p<0.05). The five remaining studies suggested a major protective effect of helmets by indicating that none or few of the head-injured and deceased participants wore a helmet. Conclusions There is strong evidence to support the protective value of helmets in reducing the risk of head injuries in skiing and snowboarding. There is no good evidence to support the claim that the use of helmets leads to an increase risk of cervical spine injuries or neck injuries.

20511622

– The effectiveness of helmet wear in skiers and snowboarders: a systematic review.

The effectiveness of helmet wear in skiers and snowboarders: a systematic review.

Br J Sports Med. 2010 May 29;

Cusimano MD, Kwok J

Objective To summarise the best available evidence to determine the impact of helmet use on head injuries, neck injuries and cervical spine injuries in skiers and snowboarders. Data sources Relevant publications were identified through electronic searches of MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL and the Cochrane Library databases (1966-2009) in addition to manual reference checks of all included articles. Review methods 45 articles were identified through our systematic literature search. Of these, 10 studies met the inclusion criteria after two levels of screening. Two independent reviewers critically appraised the studies. Data were extracted on the primary outcomes of interest: head injury, neck injury and cervical spine injury. Studies were assessed for quality by the criteria of Downs and Black. Results Studies reviewed indicate that helmet wear reduces the risk of head injuries in skiing and snowboarding. Four case-control studies reported a reduction in the risk of head injury with helmet use ranging from 15% to 60%. Another cohort study found a significantly lower incidence of head injuries involving loss of consciousness in helmet users (p<0.05). The five remaining studies suggested a major protective effect of helmets by indicating that none or few of the head-injured and deceased participants wore a helmet. Conclusions There is strong evidence to support the protective value of helmets in reducing the risk of head injuries in skiing and snowboarding. There is no good evidence to support the claim that the use of helmets leads to an increase risk of cervical spine injuries or neck injuries.

20511622

– The effectiveness of helmet wear in skiers and snowboarders: a systematic review.

Characteristics of upper extremity injuries sustained by falling during snowboarding: a study of 1918 cases.

Am J Sports Med. 2010 Jul;38(7):1468-74

Yamauchi K, Wakahara K, Fukuta M, Matsumoto K, Sumi H, Shimizu K, Miyamoto K

BACKGROUND: Little epidemiological research on characteristics of upper extremity injuries resulting from snowboarding has been conducted, particularly in relation to snowboarding stance, falling direction, and the side of the body where the injury occurs. HYPOTHESIS: Snowboarding stance and the direction of the fall may influence the frequency of the side or the location of the upper extremity injury. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive epidemiology study. METHODS: This study analyzed the information obtained from 1918 patients with fractures or dislocations of the upper extremity (excluding the fingers and scapula) sustained during snowboarding/sliding between 2000 and 2008. Diagnosis, injured part and side, stance (regular or goofy), and falling directions were prospectively analyzed. Associations among these parameters were also analyzed. RESULTS: As characterized by skill level, patients were beginners (57.9%), intermediates (38.0%), and experts (4.0%). Eighty-eight percent had not received instruction from licensed instructors. Diagnoses included wrist fractures (53.7%), upper arm fractures (16.8%), shoulder dislocations (11.5%), and elbow dislocations (9.8%). In sum, 1742 (90.8%) patients were in regular stance when they fell, whereas 176 (9.2%) were in goofy stance. There was a significant difference in the prevalence of the injured side between the 2 stances. When the injured sides were classified according to the sliding direction, wrist fractures (61.7%) occurred on the side opposite the sliding direction, whereas shoulder dislocations (65.6%), upper arm fractures (82.9%), and elbow dislocations (79.8%) occurred on the same side as the sliding direction. When the injured sides were classified according to the falling direction, wrist fractures (68.1%) and elbow dislocations (63.5%) occurred because of backward falls, and shoulder dislocations (68.9%) and upper arm fractures (60.7%) occurred because of forward falls. CONCLUSION: Two snowboarding stances as well as 2 falling directions had a significant influence on the frequency of the injured side in the upper extremity.

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– Characteristics of upper extremity injuries sustained by falling during snowboarding: a study of 1918 cases.

iGoogle is finally updating themes – There must have been quite a backlog after the Christmas vacation. 

The ski season may be over but you can start dreaming now about next season!  SILVER MOUNTAIN

But if you would rather dream about taking time off to relax on the beach check out our palm tree theme ( or if you are an Oregon State Beaver and want to imagine your team turning the beach orange and black this is the theme for you ) PALM TREES

New themes too for those of you who have written to us and asked for more horses and airplanes.  Who knew? But you asked for it so we have developed new themes for you.  Thanks for your comments and input.

Keep those cards and letters coming!

The team at WardnerSoftware.com can hardly wait to hit the slopes this season. They are not alone. With that in mind they just released a Snowboard theme for the iGoogle homepage that will keep you psyched when you are not up on the hill.

This theme rotates pictures throughout the day with a variety of effects. Nice.