Naslov
Effects of the new karate rules on the incidence and distribution of injuries

Autori
Macan, Jelena ; Bundalo-Vrbanac, Danijela ; Romić, Goran

Izvornik
British journal of sports medicine (0306-3674) 40 (2006), 4; 326-330

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
injury; karate; prevention; rules

Sažetak
Objectives: To evaluate the incidence and distribution of injuries in karate before and after the implementation of new rules established by the World Karate Federation in year 2000. Methods: Injury incidence was followed-up during official karate competition seasons of 1997 and 2002 in Croatia. A questionnaire was used to collect data on the age and sex of the competitor and localisation and severity of injury. Data were analysed separately for female and male competitors and age categories <18 and &#8805; 18 years. Results: A total of 2023.5 and 2584 minutes of active fighting (exposure-time) was assessed for 1997 and 2002, respectively. The overall injury incidence rate (IR) was similar in 1997 and 2002 (10.28 and 9.82 /100 exposure-minutes, respectively). The relative risk (RR) of injury was significantly higher in 1997 than in 2002 for competitors younger than 18 years(RR 1.55, 95% confidence interval (CI)1.11-2.16). The overall RR of head injury was significantly higher in 1997 than in 2002 (RR 1.96, 95%CI 1.54 to 2.49), but the RR of leg injury was significantly lower in 1997 than in 2002 (RR 0.16, 95%CI 0.09 to 0.28). Most injuries (>98%) were categorized as mild (grade 1) in both periods studied. Conclusions: The results of this study confirm the importance of the new competition rules in the distribution and prevention of injuries in martial arts. Strict judging and heavy penalties for uncontrolled blows, particularly for the youngest competitors, can significantly decrease the risk of injury.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Javno zdravstvo i zdravstvena zaštita

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