Citation

Beis K, Tsaklis P, Pieter W, Abatzides G. Eur. J. Sports Traumatol. Relat. Res. 2001; 23(3): 130-136.

Affiliation

Pieter, W., Department of Physical Education, University of Asia and the Pacific, Ortigas Center, Pasig City 1605, MM, Philippines

Copyright

(Copyright © 2001, Kurtis)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess and compare the injury profiles of young and adult taekwondo athletes. Subjects were 2739 young and adult Greek males and females participating in the national championships in the 1994-1995 season. Injury data were collected by project staff with all diagnoses made by the tournament physician. An injury was defined as any circumstance for which assistance was sought from the medical personnel. Within the males, the Junior boys recorded the highest injury rate (0.001), while the junior girls sustained most injuries (p less than 0.001) within the females. Within age group, the women recorded a higher injury rate than the men (p les than 0.001). Likewise, the girls sustained more injuries than the boys (p less than 0.001). In the female adult athletes, there was a difference in distribution of injuries among body regions (p=0.003), with the lower extremities (23.36/1,000 athlete-exposures) incurring the majority of the injuries. In the junior boys, there was a significant difference in the distribution of injuries among body regions (p=0.001) with most of the injuries occurring in the lower extremities (22.03/1,000 athlete-exposures). As expected, the contusion was the most frequently occurring injury in all groups. The roundhouse kick was clearly most often implicated in injury across all groups. The total injury rates recorded by the Greek athletes compare favorably with those of age group counterparts in taekwondo and other martial arts.