The most common injuries in Mixed Martial Arts · Mixed Martial Arts •Mixed Martial Arts is a full combat sport that allows grappling, wrestling, boxing, striking and other martial

Themostcommoninjuries

inMixedMartialArts

JosephL.Torres,MD

MedicalDirector

2/3/18

MixedMartialArts

• MixedMartialArtsisafullcombatsportthatallowsgrappling,

wrestling,boxing,strikingandothermartialarttechniques

betweentwoathletes.

• Theobjectiveistoachievevictoryeitherthroughknock-out,

submission,orthroughrulingofthejudgesiftimerunsout.

• Thefightcanalsobestoppedbyrefereeortheathletes

doctorifinjuriessustainedaretoodangeroustocontinuethe

sport.

MMAandmore

MMAandothermartialarts

• Thestudybelowisaretrospectivestudyinwhichinjuries

sustainedper1000fightsindifferentmartialartsportswere

compared:

Mostcommonlocations

• Sincetheobjectiveistowinthroughknock-outorsubmission

andnotasfocusedonpointslikeboxing,mostathletesaim

fortheheadforaneasyknock-out.

• Therefore,upperbodyinjuriesaremostcommoninMMA.

• Astudyin2015lookedat455MMAathletesthroughdifferent

competitionsandwereabletocomparedifferentlocationsof

theinjuriessustained:

TheArmbar

• Thearmisthemostcommonlyinjuredbodypart.

• AstudythatlookedatJiu-Jitsufightsresultedtoshowthatthe

armbarwasthemainreasonofarmrelatedinjuries.

• Thearmbarisacommonmovetoelicitasubmissionfromthe

opponent.Itisusedpredominantlybywrestlers.

TheArmbar

• Armbarcauseshyperextensionoftheelbowjoint

TheTriangleChoke

• Thetrianglechokeisanothermovetoelicitasubmissionfrom

theopponent.

TheTriangleChoke

• Thechokecancausestressonthecervicalspinecausing

multipleinjuries.

• Theseinjuriesincludecervicalradiculopathy,herniateddiscs,

vertebralfractures,andvariousneckmusclestrains

TheTriangleChoke

HeadTrauma

• MMAincludesalotofboxingandstrikestotheheadandface.

• Oneofthemostcommoninjuriesarelacerations,however,

theyalsoincludeblowoutfractures,hematomas,nasal

fractures,dentalinjuries,andconcussions.

Concussion

• MMAisafairlynewsportandthelongtermeffectsofthe

injuriessustainedhavenotbeenstudied.

• Studieshaveshownthatrepeatedtraumatotheheadin

sportssuchasfootballcancauseCTE.

• Acorrelationcouldbe

madewithFootballand

MMAandtheamount

ofheadtraumaeach

athletesuffersper

exposure.

Hands,fingersandwrists

• Handsandwristsaremostlyinjuredwhilestriking/punching

theopponent.Therefore,themostcommoninjurysustained

arefracturesofthedifferentinterphalangealjointsandwrists.

Shoulders

• Theshoulderjointismostlyinjuredduringgrappling,

however,musclestrainsareevidentafteroveruse.

• Anteriorandposteriordislocationsoccuroccasionally.

RotatorCuffTear

Knee

• Thekneejointisexposedineverysportandistrainedto

absorbalargeamountofforce.

• However,abluntdirectimpacttothekneejointorsudden

directionalmovementsthatarecompulsoryinMMAcan

causeligamenttears.

• ACLtearsarecommoninmanysportsandPCLtearsarerare.

• MMAalsofollowsthesametrend,however,PCLtearsare

seenoftenaswell.

Knee

AndersonSilvavsChrisWeidman

• UFC168wasafightthatishardtoforget.

• ItwasamultimilliondollarMiddleweightChampionshipfight,

however,itdidnotgoexactlyasplanned.

• InRound2,AndersonSilvasufferedasevereleginjury.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODeTrNf1u5M

RareInjuries

• AndersonSilvasufferedfromatibialshaftfracturewhichis

uncommon.

• MMAisafullcombatsportinwhichseverelifethreateningor

debilitatinginjuriesoccurinmorethan1outofevery4th fight.

References

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4905906/

2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4555620/

3. http://www.assh.org/Portals/1/PackFlashItemImages/Web

Ready/HandFracture

4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3210280/

ThankYou