The goal of this paper was to document the injury rate in modern competitive karate. A prospective recording of the injuries resulting from 2,837 matches in three consecutive World Karate Championships (WKC) was performed. Eight hundred and ninety-one injuries were recorded, with an incidence of 0.31 injuries per match or 157.03 injuries per 1,000 athlete exposures. Occurrence of injuries was higher among lighter categories, under 60 kg in males (0.56) and under 53 kg in females (0.42). Punches (737, 82.7%) caused more injuries than kicks (75, 7.3%). The injuries were most commonly located in the face (646, 72.5%) followed by the head (103, 11.6%) and lower limbs (57, 6.4%). The injuries consisted primarily of contusions (448, 50.3%) epistaxis (144, 16.2%) and lacerations (122, 13.7%) followed by concussions (34, 3.8%) and sprains (31, 3.5%). There was some kind of external haemorrhage in 296 injuries (33.7%). The injury rate was similar in the three WKC but the number of severe injuries declined from 1996 to 2000. We conclude that competitive karate is associated with a relatively high injury rate; in one in every three matches medical attention is required, but mainly for minor injuries. Severe injuries are rare.

IV.

The aim of this paper is to document the injury rate in high-level modern competitive karate after a change of competition rules was implemented in the year 2000, and to compare it with the injury rate found before the rules were changed. A prospective recording of the injuries resulting from 2,762 matches in three consecutive World Karate Championships (representing 7,425 min of active fighting) was performed, and compared with the results from 2,837 matches from the three last World Karate Championships (representing 7,631 min of active fighting) held before the change of competition rules. In total, 497 injuries were recorded, with an incidence of 0.180 injuries per match or 6.7 per 100 min of active fighting. There were 1,901 male category fights (in which 383 injuries were recorded), and 861 female category fights (in which 114 injuries were recorded). The global injury incidence was almost double with the old rules compared to the one with the new rules [OR 1.99, 95% CI (1.76-2.26); p < 0.00001]. In male category, the risk of injury was higher before the rules were changed [OR 1.81, 95% CI (1.56-2.09); p < 0.00001], and also in female category [OR 2.71; 95% CI (2.64-2.80); p < 0.00001]. The rate of severe injuries was not different before and after the change of rules. The implementation of the new competition rules in competitive karate has been associated with a significant reduction in injury rate, making competition safer for athletes.

The total injury rate in junior competitions is lower compared with elite adult athletes and higher compared with younger elite athletes. Time-loss injuries are rare. The implementation of the new competition categories in U21 karate has been associated with a significant reduction in injury rate.

Background: The inclusion of skateboarding in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games reinforces this activity as a sport. As the number of skateboarders around the world and the difficulty of skateboarding maneuvers continue to increase, the number of skateboarding injuries may also rise. Thus, there is a need for more comprehensive investigations into the practice habits and injuries of skateboarders. Purpose: To describe the sports habits and skateboarding injuries of a sample of skateboarders in Spain. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: A web-based survey was shared among skateboarders in Spain. The survey collected data related to sports habits, skateboarding practice habits, and injury history. Comparisons between subgroups of sex, age, and experience were also conducted. Results: The survey was completed by 197 participants (89.3% male) with a mean age of 24.4 ± 7.1 years and a mean experience of 9.7 ± 7.2 years. Most respondents (87.8%) reported not participating in any type of skateboarding-specific physical training program. Only 27.4% took part in skateboarding competitions, with a larger number of respondents younger than 18 years participating in competitive events. The mean number of sessions per week was 3.3 ± 1.7, and the mean length of sessions was 3.3 ± 1.5 hours. The majority of participants (87.8%) reported having suffered injuries (n = 323) as a result of skateboarding, mainly affecting the lower limbs (69.7%). The most common injury type was a ligament sprain (39.6%), especially of the ankle (39.3%). This injury was also reported as the most likely to recur (70.1%). A large number of injuries (54.2%) were considered severe (ie, >21 days to recover). Most injuries occurred while skateboarding gaps or stairs, including any type of a jump that involved a difference in height between the take-off and landing surfaces (25.7%). Female participants accounted for a larger number of ligament sprains than expected, and experienced skateboarders were more likely to suffer more severe injuries and head/trunk injuries. Conclusion: Respondents to this survey were mainly young male adults who practiced skateboarding recreationally. Respondents of different sexes, ages, and experiences demonstrated different habits and injury patterns. The greater number of severe injuries highlights the need for injury surveillance in skateboarding to inform better prevention and rehabilitation practices.