IJERPH, Vol. 20, Pages 1978: Incidence of Sport Injuries in the Manchester 2019 World Taekwondo Championships: A Prospective Study of 936 Athletes from 145 Countries

IJERPH, Vol. 20, Pages 1978: Incidence of Sport Injuries in the Manchester 2019 World Taekwondo Championships: A Prospective Study of 936 Athletes from 145 Countries

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph20031978

Authors: Hee Seong Jeong Dae Hyoun Jeong David M. O’Sullivan Hyung-Pil Jun Min Jin Kim Inje Lee Hyung Gyu Jeon Sae Yong Lee

We aimed to describe injury incidence and patterns at the 2019 World Taekwondo Championships (WTC), and to compare them with those of previous WTCs, based on new World Taekwondo (WT) competition rules, medical codes, and the Protector and Scoring System (PSS). This prospective cohort study utilized data obtained through the WT Injury Surveillance System. All athletes with injuries were evaluated by on-site sports medicine specialists, and ultrasonography was used to assess all musculoskeletal injuries. Of 936 athletes, 60 injuries were recorded (6.4 injuries/100 athletes, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 4.8–8.0), and 4.5% (n = 42) sustained at least one injury. Males had a higher risk of sustaining injuries than females (incidence rate ratio: 1.57; 95% CI: 0.89–2.76). The most common sites, type, and mechanism were lower extremities (n = 26, 43.33%), contusion/hematoma/bruises (n = 33, 55.0%), and contact with another athlete (n = 50, 83.33%). Overall, the injury patterns associated with the mechanism of injury were similar in both the 2019 and 2017 WTCs. Refined WT competition rules and a re-established PSS at the 2019 WTC reduced the overall and severe injury incidence. Our findings can help revise Taekwondo competition rules, enhance protective equipment, optimize on-site venue medical systems, and develop injury prevention projects.