Injury Incidence and Severity at the 5 th World Para-taekwondo Championships

Abstract

[PURPOSE] The purpose was to present incidence of injuries for injuries at an international competition [METHODS] The study was designed as a prospective observational epidemiological study, set at the 6th World Para-taekwondo Championships, with 92 males (28.8 +5.7years, 178.3+4.7cm, 73.0+9.6kg) and 21 females (28.6+6.6years, 163.3+4.1cm, 52.6+2.6kg) participating. During the championships musculoskeletal injury data were collected and analyzed. The main outcome measures were the injury incidence rate with 95% confidence intervals (CI). [RESULTS] The overall injury incidence was 49.8 per 1000 athlete exposures (A-E) (95% CI: 16.7 to 80.0) and 24.6 per 1000 minute exposures (M-E) (95% CI: 8.5 to 40.6). Contusions were the predominant injury type (21.5, 95 % CI = 0.43 to 42.6: 10.9 injuries per 1000 M-E, 95 % CI = 0.22 to 21.6). The total concussion incidence was 21.5 per 1000 A-E (95% CI: -5.1 to 15.9) and 10.64 per 1000 M-E (95% CI: -2.6 to 8.1). Males had an incidence of severe injury of 22.0 per 1000 (5.8 to 38.7) M-E and females had an incidence moderate injury of 3.2 per 1000 (-3.0 to 9.4) M-E. [CONCLUSION] Contrary to previous taekwondo injury studies, ligament sprains were more common than contusions and therefore, extra attention may be warranted to prevent non-contact injuries.