A prospective cohort study of injury in amateur and professional boxing

Abstract

Background: There is concern over the potential for a high incidence of injury in boxing. This is despite a lack of prospective data evaluating the risk for modern day participants. Updated, reliable data with a focus on potential exposure to injury for both amateur and, especially, professional boxers is required. Aim: To determine the epidemiology of injury and exposure of amateur and professional boxers in Victoria, Australia. Methods: A prospective cohort study with one year follow up was carried out over [2004][2005]. Thirty three amateur and 14 active professional boxers registered with either Boxing Victoria Inc (amateurs) or the Professional Boxing and Combat Sports Board of Victoria (professionals) volunteered. Exposure at training and competition was measured, and any injuries sustained during this participation were recorded. Results: Twenty one injuries were sustained by the cohort during the follow up period. Most were to the head region (71%; 95% confidence interval 23.7 to 89.4), with concussion being the most common (33%). An overall injury rate of 2.0 injuries per 1000 hours of boxing was calculated. Conclusion: The high exposure experienced by the boxers (as a result of considerable training time) indicated that boxing has acute injury rates comparable to, and often lower than, those found in other contact and non-contact sports. Further, acute injuries during training appear to be less common and severe than those sustained in bouts.

Quality of life of male amateur athletes from Pelotas, Brazil

“…An earlier 6-month investigation analyzed the prevalence of injuries in amateur and professional combat athletes, and found an incidence of 42.9% 25 . Although physical contact is high in combat sports, a cohort study with professional boxers showed a lower incidence than in team sports such as soccer, professional rugby, hockey and basketball, suggesting that the incidence of injuries is related to the intensity at which the sport is played 25 , as well as the large number of impacts in areas of the body prone to torn ligaments, overuse and sudden changes in direction 26 . As such, they are strongly dependent on the type of sport and the competitive stage of the athlete.…”

Boxing Participation by Children and Adolescents

“…Most injuries in boxing, both amateur and professional, occur during competition (57%), compared with training (43%). 4 The authors of 1 cohort study reported an injury rate of 1.0 injury per 1000 hours of participation for amateur boxers (15.1-37.1 years of age). 4 This rate is actually lower than reported high school athlete injury rates of 4.4 per 1000 athlete-exposures in football, 2.5 in wrestling, and 2.4 in soccer.…”

“…4 The authors of 1 cohort study reported an injury rate of 1.0 injury per 1000 hours of participation for amateur boxers (15.1-37.1 years of age). 4 This rate is actually lower than reported high school athlete injury rates of 4.4 per 1000 athlete-exposures in football, 2.5 in wrestling, and 2.4 in soccer. 16 Intentional facial and head injuries, however, are more frequent in boxing.…”

“…Participants in boxing are at risk of serious neurologic and facial injuries. [3][4][5][6][7] Despite these potential dangers, thousands of boys and girls participate in boxing in North America. In 2008, more than 18 000 youths younger than 19 years were registered with USA Boxing (Lynette Smith, USA Boxing, written communication, August 2009).…”

The Influence of Impactor Mass on the Dynamic Response of the Hybrid III Headform and Brain Tissue Deformation

“…However, even with the use of protective headgear the incidence of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) known as concussions have not, and continue to be a concern in both recreational and professional sports [2][3][4][5]. A recent survey reported 110 in 100,000…”