The injury profile of Karate World Championships: new rules, less injuries

Abstract

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.

Epidemiology of injuries in juniors participating in top-level karate competition: a prospective cohort study

“…Any touch or contact, no matter how light, is penalised 2. In seniors' categories, the rate of injuries found in a previous study15 is higher, reaching 180 injuries per 1000 AEs, which represents approximately 77% more than was found in our study, but we must bear in mind that this data was found before the change in the WKF competition rules that reduced the injury rate by half 16. This fact might also explain the difference in injury rates found in taekwondo, in the meta-analysis form Lystad et al , where the injury rate was 79.3 per 1,000 AEs, without significant differences from age, gender or level of play, but studies were pooled without attending to possible changes in competition rules 27.…”

A Study on Origins and Incidence of Sport-Related Injuries and Possibilities for Prophylaxis in Bulgarian Elite Karate Athletes

“…Yet even when there is an equality between the two when comparing overall muscle strains (grade 1 and 2), no matter the complexity of executed fighting technique, there is a marked inclination to injuries of the lower limb for the distal part of the extremities (sustained ankle injury and muscle strain of the toe flexor). Comparing with the international researchers like Arriaza and assoc., which recorded from a total of 497 injuries an average frequency of 0.18 injuries/bout, our own rate is only 46 individual injuries for a total of 256 years of sport practice in our 22 competitors (Arriaza, 2009). Upper limb traumas include fractures of: phalanges (1), and metacarpal bones (3), radial head (1), elbow (1), clavicle (1); dislocated joints: interphalangeal (3), shoulder (1) and elbow (3); subluxated shoulder joint (1), or a total of 15 cases of damages to the LMS.…”

“…The contribution of our contemporaries is greatly valued-Arriaza and assoc., reported a total of 497 injuries with an average frequency of 0.18 injuries/ bout (Arriaza, 2009). The rates of total disability in both sexes are divided into categories with a slight curb towards men, with severe injuries gro u ped and represented by 64 in total.…”

Low risk of concussions in top-level karate competition

“…During the four World Karate Championships studied, injuries were recorded following the same protocols used in previous investigations 2 8. According to karate competition rules, whenever there was a suspected injury on the tatami (the competition area) during the studied World Championships, the doctor in charge was called by the referee to assess the competitor and, if necessary, provide treatment.…”