Injury prevalence in a group of combat athletes from Argentina
Retrospective cross-sectional observational study
Abstract
Objective: To determine the prevalence and characteristics of injuries in combat disciplines, both in training and competition, in a sample of Argentine combat athletes.
Materials and method: This study was conducted through a survey to >18-year-old subjects who had trained a combat discipline in the 2019-2020 period. The different disciplines were categorized according to their tactical-strategic principles into grappling (GD), striking (SD), and hybrid disciplines (HD).
Results: A total of 88 subjects were surveyed, and only 72 were selected. Of them, 50 reported at least one injury, with an injury prevalence of 69.4%. Of the 82 injuries reported, 47 (57.3%) occurred in the GD, 30 (36.6%) in SD, and 5 (6.1%) in HD. The most affected region was the knee in the GD and HD (17.2% and 60%, respectively), and the knee, shoulder, and hand in the SD (13.3% each). The most affected tissue in all disciplines were ligaments/joint capsule (27.6% in GD, 26.7% in SD, and 40% in HD). The most common pathologies were sprains in GD and HD (23.4% and 40%, respectively) and tears/ruptures in SD (16.7%).
Conclusion: During a one-year period, an injury prevalence of 69.4% was observed. Regarding the injury characteristics, the knee was the most affected region, and sprains were the most common pathology.
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