Injury Profile and Risk Factors in a Young High Competitive Population of Judo Athletes

Marcos António Fernandes de Carvalho*, Miguel Alexandre do Nascimento, Ugo Alves Fontoura, Vítor Hugo Teixeira Pinheiro, André Pereira Pinto, Sandra Filipa Nunes dos Santos, João Pedro Moreira de Oliveira and Fernando Manuel Pereira Fonseca

Received: February 11, 2018;   Published: February 23, 2018

DOI: 10.32474/OSMOAJ.2018.01.000101

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Abstract

Background: High competitive level judo practice from a very young age, may lead to an increasing risk of injury. The aim of this study is to identify injury risk factors in a young high-level judo population to develop future specific strategies for injury prevention.

Methods: An individual questionnaire was applied by physicians to cadet and junior athletes that competed in international judo tournaments in 2014. Statistical inferential analysis was performed to identify the major injury risk factors and injury patterns in these ages.

Results: 212 athletes from 13 different countries (53% portuguese) answered the questionnaire. Male predominance was found, and a mean age of 16,8 ±1,5 years with 9,7±3,1years of judo practice. We found 347 injuries, with 83% of the athletes reporting at least one injury. The majority of injuries occurred to the limbs (85%) during training period (71%), in the throwing phase (87,6%), as a consequence of direct contact (72%) and with articular involvement (62%). Sprain was the most common type (36%) and shoulder the most specific segment affected (25%) with an occurrence twice as high during defense movements [p=0,018]. Injury occurrence was associated with training load (p=0,001), whilst the number of injuries with the age [p=0,005], need to lose weight (p=0,007) and training load (0,001).

Conclusions: Increasing age, need to lose weight and training load were identified as injury risk factors for these ages. We also verified that shoulder injuries are significantly more frequent during defense movements, being these ones that led to more severe injuries.

Keywords: Judo; Sports injury; Trauma; Young athletes; Martial arts

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