Boxing Injuries

[Garland]

Int J Sports Med. 2005 Mar;26(2):151-7. Related Articles, Links
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Boxing and "commotio cordis": ECG and humoral study.

Bianco M, Colella F, Pannozzo A, Oradei A, Bucari S, Palmieri V, Zuppi C, Zeppilli P.

Sports Medicine Center, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy. massibianco@tin.it

The objective of the study was to analyze the presence of myocardial damage in relation to official boxing matches. Low-energy chest wall impact could be responsible for sudden cardiac death, i.e. commotio cordis. As boxing is a traumatic sport in which thoracic hits usually occur, it seems interesting to know if there are any significant cardiac changes during official bouts. Fifteen amateur boxers, participating in the semifinals of the Italian Championship were investigated. A standard ECG before, immediately after, 1 hour and 12 hours after the match were obtained from each athlete to analyze atrio-ventricular conduction, QRS axis and duration, and ventricular repolarization. A blood sample was also obtained before and 12 hours after the match for analysis of total-creatin-phosphokinase, myoglobin, and T-troponin. After the fight, the following significant changes were encountered: higher QRS voltages, lowering of J-point and ST segment in lateral leads, higher ST-slope, lower T-wave amplitude, shorter T-wave peak time, and shorter QT interval. When the last 2 parameters were corrected for heart rate, no differences were observed for QTc, while T-wave peak time significantly increased. All these changes persisted until one hour after the match. Moreover, 3/15 boxers (20 %) showed marked ventricular repolarization anomalies in lateral leads after the contest, persisting for 12 hours in one case. However, no athlete had clinical and humoral signs of myocardial damage following the match. It was concluded that no clinical and humoral signs of myocardial damage were found after amateur boxing matches, although ventricular repolarization abnormalities can be found on ECG in 20 % of boxers, probably due to sympathetic hyper-activity related to the agonistic event.

PMID: 15726492 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

1: Sportverletz Sportschaden. 2005 Sep;19(3):146-50. Related Articles, Links
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[Specific effects of boxing on functional parameters of the locomotor system]

[Article in German]

Kittel R, Misch K, Schmidt M, Ellwanger S, Bittmann F, Badtke G.

Institut fur Sportmedizin und Pravention, Universitat Potsdam. kittel@uni-potsdam.de

PROBLEMS: Boxer that take part on contests regularly are characterized by high strains on the locomotor system. Especially the area of shoulder girdle and neck can be overused by the fighting posture and standard techniques, that are often associated with non-physiological patterns. METHODS: Of 11 young boxers (age 14.6 +/- 0.6 years; 7.3 +/- 0.6 training units per week) and a control group (CG) of 52 male pupils (age 15.4 +/- 0.4 years) the static of head, shoulder girdle, and pelvis was detected by somatoscopy. Additionally, cyclical rotations of the cervical spine were measured using the 3-d-motion recording system CMS70 (Zebris, Germany) and the active range of motion was analysed. RESULTS: In comparison to the CG, head and shoulder of the boxers were ventralised more often (p < 0.01). Furthermore, highly significant group differences in the bilateral position of the shoulder heights and the iliac crests were detected in the frontal plane. On average, the active maximal rotation of the boxers was decreased by 17.8 degrees (p = 0.006; d = 0.800). DISCUSSION: Our study was able to detect significant differences in the analysed functional parameters of the locomotor system that may be explained by boxing specific strains and which are prerequisites of optimal performance. As long-term pathologic effects can not be excluded, adequate compensational exercises should be integrated in the training.

Publication Types:

* Clinical Trial
* Controlled Clinical Trial


PMID: 16167268 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]


1: Br J Sports Med. 2005 Sep;39(9):661-4; discussion 664. Related Articles, Links
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The risk of chronic traumatic brain injury in professional boxing: change in exposure variables over the past century.

Clausen H, McCrory P, Anderson V.

University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.

OBJECTIVES: To determine if boxing exposure has changed over time and hence if current professional boxers are at the same risk of developing chronic traumatic brain injury (CTBI) as historical controls. DESIGN: Literature review of published studies and analysis of data of active professional boxers. SUBJECTS: Professional boxers in the United Kingdom and Australia. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Boxing history and participation in sparring and professional bouts. RESULTS: Since the 1930s, the average duration of a professional boxer's career has dropped from 19 years to five years, and the mean number of career bouts has reduced from 336 to 13. This is despite no significant decline in participation rates from 1931 until 2002. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of boxing related CTBI will diminish in the current era of professional boxing because of the reduction in exposure to repetitive head trauma and increasing medical monitoring of boxers, with preparticipation medical and neuroimaging assessments resulting in the detection of early and potentially pre-symptomatic cases of CTBI.

Publication Types:

* Historical Article


PMID: 16118306 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[Sagacious Lu]

This was an interesting article. This in particular got my attention:

Originally Posted by Garland

DISCUSSION: Our study was able to detect significant differences in the analysed functional parameters of the locomotor system that may be explained by boxing specific strains and which are prerequisites of optimal performance. As long-term pathologic effects can not be excluded, adequate compensational exercises should be integrated in the training.

I wonder what they mean by "compensational exercises"?

[fozzy40]

It means to exercise the opposing muscles in order to balance out the forces.