Some of my snowboarding magazines say that using wrist braces lowers the chance of a wrist injury. Is this true?

Yes. Researchers studied more than 5,000 snowboarders. Half used soft wrist braces; the other half didn’t. Significantly fewer injuries occurred in those wearing the braces. Only eight snowboarders wearing wrist braces ended up with a wrist injury, including three fractures and five sprains. Strikingly, 29 injuries were recorded in those who didn’t wear wrist braces. Two of these injuries involved fractures, and 27 were sprains. Based on the results of their study, the authors recommend that snowboarders wear wrist braces to protect against wrist injuries.