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Combat sports injuries are the common outcome of many martial arts. And are the result of a combination of striking and grappling moves in a fighting contest.
Though a clear set of rules direct the sport’s action. But, techniques of strikes with the extremities, throws and takedowns, as well as joint manipulation and chokes are the core actions of this form of sport. Injuries are therefore inevitable, and thus, the importance of their recognition and early management is of vital importance.
A quick return to competition is the target of every sportsperson. But , this cannot be achieved without timely identification of the injury , its treatment and guidance on return to training and finally competition .
The occurrence of Combat sports injuries and their associations with internal and external damage in subjects are poorly studied. Kombat Creed Championship understands the gap in this vital area . And, the challenges faced by the trainer and trainee alike.
Shared below are some eye opening statistics :
Reasons for Ending Bouts by Gender, Level, and State
KO- Knockout , TKO- Technical Knockout
* Data as per Research publication in International journal on sports medicine.
The relevance of referee stopping the bout is almost always injury related.
Another study was conducted on 1400 Combat sport fighters in 2014 revealed that 8.5% of the participants sustained injuries. And the number of injuries needing medical attention or hospitalisation was directly proportional to the number of bouts. That is, the more the number of bouts the more the possibility of significant injury.
The observed injury rate was actually bound to be lower than previously reported, suggesting recent regulatory changes have made MMA and other combat sports a safer sport.
Percentage of Combat Sport injuries in 2178 rounds*(2014)
Did you know ?
“The overall injury prevalence for combat sports athletes, including MMA fighters, is reported to be 73.6% at least once during their career”
“Injury rates are higher for novice fighters (316.3 per 1000) compared to professionals (210.3 per 1000) in Combat sports.”
“The risk of injury in MMA is highest during competition, with a 5.6 times higher injury rate compared to training.”
“MMA has an injury rate of 228.7 per 1000 athlete-exposures, making it safer than sports like football or hockey.”
“MMA fighters have a 15.9% chance of experiencing a concussion during a fight.”
“MMA has a knockout rate of 6.4% in professional fights, which is lower than the rates in boxing (9.0%) and kickboxing (19.2%).”
Facial and Dentofacial Trauma
“The majority of MMA injuries are located in the head and face (66.8%) and consist primarily of nasal injuries , dentofacial trauma , lacerations and contusions.”
“Facial injuries make up 47.9% of all injuries sustained in professional MMA fights.”
For further queries contact our Plastic Surgeon Dr. Sunita and Dentofacial surgeon Dr Arvind
“Eye injuries
“Eye injuries, including corneal abrasions and retinal detachment, occur in approximately 8.2% of professional MMA fights.”
For further queries contact our Eye Surgeon Dr. Rohit Nanda
Musculo Skeletal Injuries
“The average MMA career length is 12 years, with more than half of career-ending injuries caused by fractures and dislocations.”
“Orthopedic injuries account for 49.9% of all injuries in MMA.”
“Shoulder injuries make up 12% of all injuries in MMA.”
“The prevalence of neurological injuries (concussions and subconcussive impacts) in MMA is reported to be 9.3%.”
For further queries contact our Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgeon Dr. Adarsh Kumar
Combat sports injuries in women :
In a study conducted on 1000 female Karatekas in the year 2007, it was found that injuries to lower abdomen , genitalia , trunk and breasts make up nearly 10.8% of all injuries. Further, Female Kombat sport participants face a few special challenges like dysmenorrhea(painful periods), polycystic ovaries(PCOD), surgery to reproductive organs, child birth etc. This needs specialized guidance for return to competition level.
For further queries contact our Obstetrician & Gynaecologist – Dr Laxmi Archana Kumar
** Published in 2024
Another study on 1000 Fighters of Shotokan Karate
Injuries were most commonly located in the head and neck (55.4%) followed by the lower limb (21%), upper limb (12.9%) and trunk (10.8%).
Punches (48. 4%) were associated with more injuries than kicks (33.3%).
The injuries consisted of muscle strain and contusion (81, 43.6%), hematoma and epistaxis (49, 26.3%), lacerations and abrasions (28, 15. 1%), concussion (13, 7%), tooth avulsion or subluxation (3, 1.6%), joint dislocation (3, 1.6%) and fractures (3, 1.6%).
***Published in 2007
In conclusion, as the majority of injuries are minor, and severe or longstanding injuries are uncommon, it can be argued that Combat Sports when conducted in a safe environment are relatively safe for participants of both genders and all age groups , despite its image as a fight sport.
Did you know?
The Overall injury rate in MMA/ Martial Arts is 228/1000 (22.8%).
The overall injury rate in Ice Hockey is 521/ 1000 (52.1%).
The overall injury rate in Football is 344/ 1000 (34.4%).
At Kombat Creed Championship we invite you to access our one of a kind platform for awareness, education and management of Combat sport injuries . Our portal offers access to injury recognition and treatment from renowned doctors of various specialities with valuable experience in Combat sport trauma.
References :
*Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine in 2014
**Gitnux market research platform. 2024
*** Journal of Sports Medicine 2007, Pubmed.
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