Prevalence of injuries in competitive boxers: A retrospective study

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Several changes have occurred in Olympic boxing in last few decades. In March 2013, the use of headgear was banned to reduce the incidence of cerebral concussion. This reduced the concussion rate to 0.17% but affected the boxer's psychology and also the way boxers and coaches prepare. The boxers feel safer to take the risk wearing headgear that they simply would not do if they are not wearing one. Furthermore, three fatal incidents of professional boxing make it important to find out the prevalence of injuries in competitive boxers. The aim of this study was to find out the prevalence of injuries in national level boxers of India that occurred during the bout or training. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted as a retrospective and was carried on 54 national level boxers ranging between 11 and 35 years. Results: Fifty-four boxers reported with 820 injuries in 2 years. Each boxer sustained 15.18 injuries in 2 years on an average, i.e., 7.59 injuries/year on an average. The injury rate per boxer was 9.64/1000 h of training. The injuries of head and face (42.92%) are more frequent followed by the injuries of upper limb (33.90%). Soft tissue lacerations and contusions are common. Furthermore, frequent low back pain (5%), calf cramp (3.41%), and high ankle sprain (4.4%) were reported because of training. Conclusions: The study suggests that the most common type of injuries in boxers is the soft tissue lacerations and contusions, and the most common site of injury is the head and face region. Common injuries due to training are low back pain, calf cramp, and high ankle sprain.