Assessment of Injuries During Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Competition

Abstract

Background:Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) is a unique style of martial arts with rapid growth in the United States and internationally. Although studies have examined injuries in other martial arts and combat sports, to date, no published medical study has examined injuries in BJJ competitions.Purpose:(1) To estimate the incidence of injuries in BJJ competitions and (2) to identify and describe the types and mechanisms of injuries associated with competitive BJJ.Study Design:Descriptive epidemiology study.Methods:Injury data were obtained from records of on-site medical coverage at 8 statewide BJJ tournaments in Hawaii, USA, between 2005 and 2011.Results:The identified injury incidence on the day of matches was 9.2 per 1000 exposures (46 injuries out of 5022 exposures, ie, match participations). Orthopaedic injuries were the most common and accounted for 78% of all injuries (n = 36), followed by costochondral or rib injuries (n = 7) and lacerations requiring medical care (n = 3). The elbow was found to be the joint most commonly injured during BJJ competitions, with the arm bar being the most common mechanism. We propose that this BJJ-specific injury mechanism, the “arm bar,” be recognized as another mechanism of hyperextension injury to the elbow in sports.Conclusion:Comparison of the BJJ injury data with injury data reported for judo, taekwondo, wrestling, and mixed martial arts showed that BJJ competitors were at substantially lower risk of injury compared with these other sports. With orthopaedic injuries being most common and the elbow being the area most vulnerable to injury in BJJ, it is important that participants, referees, and physicians be properly educated about the unique mechanisms of injury that can occur, particularly to the elbow.

Prevalência de lesões em atletas de Brazilian jiu-jitsu: comparação entre diferentes níveis competitivos

“…Consistent with our observations, Kreiswirth et al 8 reported a high injury rate during a BJJ World Championship in 2009, particularly at knees (19.4%), shoulders (16.1%) and elbows (19.4%). Scoggin et al 9 while analyzing data from BJJ tournaments in Hawaii from 2005 to 2011 concluded that 19.4% of knee injuries occurred from direct pressure, particularly during passing guard (11.1%). The same authors reported shoulder injuries to be most commonly caused by the kimura technique (joint key in the shoulder).…”

“…This scale takes into account training time missed due to injury as a classification of severity as follows: light (with no time lost training), light to moderate (one to two days), moderate (two weeks), moderate to severe (two to four weeks), or severe (four weeks). A similar instrument has been use in previous studies of BJJ athletes 8,9,16,17 .…”

“…A recent study reported the rate of incidence associated with joint injuries is 24.9 per 1000 BJJ athlete-exposures during an official BJJ tournament 8 . For example, elbows and knees followed by ankles are the most commonly injured joints in BJJ athletes 8,9 . While rate of injury has been reported as more common during training sessions compared with competitions in other combat sports as karate, judo 10 , wrestling 11 , boxing 12 and taekwondo 13 , differences in the rate of injury incidence during training sessions compared with competition has not been explored in BJJ athletes.…”

“…Therefore, this study aimed to identify the different types of body injuries associated with BJJ, the environmental setting of highest injury incidence, and the underlying mechanisms and severity of injuries in novice compared with advanced athletes. We hypothesized, 1) elbows and knees will be the most injured joints for both novice and advanced athletes 8,9 , and 2) compared with novice athletes, advanced athletes will demonstrate higher rate of injury 8 .…”

The “Heel Hook”—A Climbing-Specific Technique to Injure the Leg

“…6,13 THE KNEE HEEL HOOK INJURY Surprisingly, injuries to the knee while performing a heel hook are also described in martial arts. [14][15][16] In these sports, the factor of velocity adds to the injury impact, which makes it more likely to tear an anterior cruciate than in the more static aspect of the heel hook pull in climbing. Davis et al 16 report 2 cases of high grade lateral collateral ligament injury, 2 in climbing and one in jiu jitsu.…”