Snowboarder’s Ankle

The innate maneuvers of the sport are fraught with potential forces that put the foot and ankle at risk.

Vivo Dolomites

The excitement of snowboarding at the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympics is undeniable. Events like Big Air, Halfpipe and the high-speed, head-to-head competition of Snowboard Cross fuels the competitive fires of athletes who rely on speed, strategy, skill and training making it one of the most anticipated events of the Winter Olympics.

But like all sports of this genre it is not without risk. Statistics from the National Ski Areas Association note that while snowboarders make up around 25% of ski area visitors, they account for approximately 50% of injuries and of those injuries up to 28% of all snowboarding injuries are related to the ankle joint complex.

Ankle joint injuries prevalent among snowboarders include an injury of the lower extremity known as ‘snowboarder’s ankle. The term comes from this fracture being 15x more likely among snowboarding associated ankle injuries than other ankle injuries.

Snowboarder's Ankle is the common term for a fracture of the lateral process of the talus (LPTF). It occurs because of a sudden upward movement of the foot, combined with the foot turning inwards. 

Talus

The talus is one of seven articulating bones of the foot and is significant in almost all foot movements. This bone is located above the heel bone, deep in the ankle. It joins with the shin bone (tibia) above it to form the ankle joint and plays a pivotal role in load transmission and motion supporting the weight of the leg transferring forces from the tibia down to the foot. When the ankle is dorsiflexed (toes are brought toward the shin) the talus gets locked in place by the surrounding bones.

With sufficient force applied, the talus will fracture, causing Snowboarder’s Ankle.

Because the talus makes up the lower part of the ankle joint and the signs and symptoms of this injury are similar to an ankle sprain this injury is often misdiagnosed as a severe ankle sprain leading to long term problems years after the initial occurrence.

The innate maneuvers of the sport are fraught with potential forces that put the foot and ankle at risk. The biomechanics (how body structures integrate and move) of the sport can tend toward forced ankle joint dorsiflexion. Other factors including the equipment (supportive footgear) and the nature of the sport can contribute to this injury. 

Snowboarding became an Olympic sport at the 1998 Nagano Winter Games with the interest in extreme sports gaining in popularity. It has grown to become one of the most widely watched events in the 2026 Winter Games. Every Olympic cycle give us an insight into the extraordinary athletics and their performances as they test the boundaries of both physical and technical competence to realize the human potential for greatness.