Analysis of Injuries and Risk Factors in Taekwondo during the 2014 Italian University Championship

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to analyze the risk factors and type of injuries occurring in Taekwondo athletes participating in a national competition.

Methods Out of the 127 competitors, 18 athletes got injured during a Taekwondo championship who were analyzed for the following parameters: modality of training; age, weight; belt color; and the type of injury.

Results Around 89% of the injuries were due to bruising and were found mainly on the lower limbs (61%) during the elimination rounds and during the first match of the day. The higher probability of injury was in the second round (56%), and during the first match of the day (72%). Nearly all the athletes were able to complete the game in which they were injured (83%). Comparing the average age of the athletes suffering an injury (23.6 ± 2.06 years) with their average years of training (8.4 ± 7.05 years) it can be noted that these athletes began this discipline rather late. The more is the training age and the weekly hours of training, the more are the numbers of matches completed, even as injured. Beginners with a low-level belt suffered more injuries than the experienced subjects did.

Conclusion The following risk factors for injury were found: starting to practice in late age, weekly training sessions with a few number of hours, male sex, low-level belt, elimination rounds, the first match of the day, and second round.

Level of Evidence Level III, observational analytic study without a control group.

Keywords

athletic injuries - injury rate - prevention - risk factors - martial arts - Taekwondo

• References

• 1 Lystad RP, Swain MS, Graham PL. Risk factors for injury in Olympic-style competition taekwondo: a systematic review. J Sports Med Phys Fitness 2013; 53 (06) 655-664
• 2 Altarriba-Bartes A, Drobnic F, Til L, Malliaropoulos N, Montoro JB, Irurtia A. Epidemiology of injuries in elite taekwondo athletes: two Olympic periods cross-sectional retrospective study. BMJ Open 2014; 4 (02) e004605
• 3 Ziaee V, Rahmani S-H, Rostami M. Injury rates in Iranian taekwondo athletes; a prospective study. Asian J Sports Med 2010; 1 (01) 23-28
• 4 Pieter W. Martial arts injuries. Med Sport Sci 2005; 48: 59-73
• 5 Kazemi M, Chudolinski A, Turgeon M, Simon A, Ho E, Coombe L. Nine year longitudinal retrospective study of Taekwondo injuries. J Can Chiropr Assoc 2009; 53 (04) 272-281
• 6 Kazemi M, Shearer H, Choung YS. Pre-competition habits and injuries in Taekwondo athletes. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2005; 6: 26-34
• 7 Pieter W, Fife GP, O'Sullivan DM. Competition injuries in taekwondo: a literature review and suggestions for prevention and surveillance. Br J Sports Med 2012; 46 (07) 485-491
• 8 Zemper ED, Pieter W. Injury rates during the 1988 US Olympic Team Trials for taekwondo. Br J Sports Med 1989; 23 (03) 161-164
• 9 Pieter W, Zemper ED. Injury rates in children participating in taekwondo competition. J Trauma 1997; 43 (01) 89-95 , discussion 95–96
• 10 Lystad RP, Graham PL, Poulos RG. Exposure-adjusted incidence rates and severity of competition injuries in Australian amateur taekwondo athletes: a 2-year prospective study. Br J Sports Med 2013; 47 (07) 441-446
• 11 Schlüter-Brust K, Leistenschneider P, Dargel J, Springorum HP, Eysel P, Michael JW-P. Acute injuries in Taekwondo. Int J Sports Med 2011; 32 (08) 629-634
• 12 Yard EE, Knox CL, Smith GA, Comstock RD. Pediatric martial arts injuries presenting to Emergency Departments, United States 1990-2003. J Sci Med Sport 2007; 10 (04) 219-226
• 13 Pieter W, Rostami M, Ziaee V. An addendum to injury rates in Iranian taekwondo athletes; a prospective study. Asian J Sports Med 2010; 1 (02) 117-121
• 14 Kazemi M. Relationships between injury and success in elite Taekwondo athletes. J Sports Sci 2012; 30 (03) 277-283
• 15 Lystad RP, Pollard H, Graham PL. Epidemiology of injuries in competition taekwondo: a meta-analysis of observational studies. J Sci Med Sport 2009; 12 (06) 614-621