A Comparison of 2,845 Head and Neck Injuries in Various Martial Arts

The primary purpose of this study is to estimate and compare the frequencies, types, and hospital admission rates of head and neck injuries in subjects who practice different martial art fighting styles, including karate, kung fu, kickboxing, taekwondo, judo, and jiu jitsu.

The investigators designed and implemented a 20-year cross-sectional study using the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database. Information related to head and neck martial art injuries from January 2000 through December 2019 was included in this study. Study variables were obtained from both patient demographics and injury characteristics (date of injury, diagnosis, body part, type of martial art, and disposition). Patient and injury characteristics were compared through χ² and independent sample tests.

Taekwondo was the most likely type of martial art to lead to a head injury (P < .01), whereas jiu jitsu (P < .01) and judo (P < .01) were most likely to cause neck injuries. The type of martial art was not significantly associated with admission rates (P = .190); however, patients with head injuries were more likely to be admitted relative to patients who did not suffer head injuries (P < .05). Moreover, injuries secondary to judo were more likely to result in admissions relative to that of all other martial arts (P < .05).

Judo was the most severe martial art during this time period as it led to the highest rate of hospital admissions. Karate injuries are most likely to occur in younger populations of fighters under the age of 18 years.