Musculoskeletal injuries in taekwondo athletes: a nationwide study in Portugal
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Published on: May 26, 2020
Beatriz Minghelli1, Liliana Machado2, Ruben Capela2
1. School of Health Jean Piaget Algarve - Piaget Institute - Portugal; Research in Education and Community Intervention (RECI), Algarve, Enxerim - 8300-025 - Silves, Portugal.
Objective:
Taekwondo is a martial art that emphasizes blows using the feet and fists, and it is characterized by direct and continuous body contact, which subjects their practitioners to a higher number of injuries. This study aimed to determine the incidence of musculoskeletal injuries in Portuguese taekwondo athletes and analyze its associated factors.
Methods:
The sample included 341 taekwondo athletes, aged between 4 and 62 years (18.77±12.77 years), 237 (69.5%) were male, and 104 (30.5%) female. A questionnaire was administered at a national level in taekwondo training and competitions via interview.
Results:
One hundred and thirty-two (38.7%) taekwondo athletes reported having suffered an injury since they began their practice, totaling 294 injuries. Seventy-six (22.3%) athletes had an injury in the previous 12-months period, with a total of 112 injuries. There were 2.15 injuries per 1,000 hours of taekwondo training. The most common of all injuries was muscle injury (strain, contusion) (58.6%), in the foot and fingers (18.9%). The attack technique (28.8%) was the most prevalent injury mechanism. Adult athletes presented a higher risk of sustaining taekwondo-related injuries than adolescents (odds ratio = 3.91; 95%CI: 1.13-13.55; p=0.032), and athletes who trained more than 1 hour had a risk 4.20 times greater (95%CI: 1.44-12.29; p=0.009) than those who trained up to 1 hour per session.
Conclusions:
Injuries were frequent among Portuguese taekwondo athletes, with specific body areas affected, mainly caused by the attack technique. It is necessary to create injury prevention strategies, including specific training and the use of protective equipment.
