Investigation of head, brain and cervical injuries through mri, after knock out in tae kwon do athletes

Introduction

Blows on the head usually cause head and brain injuries. The result of the repeated injuries on the head is cumulative [1]. The result of even a light concussion is not always obvious to the person or to the observer [2]. In order to detect any anatomical anomalies, MRI or CT is suggested [3, 4]. The purpose of this study was to investigate head, brain and cervical injuries through MRI, after KO sustained during sparring competition in Tae kwon do athletes.

Methods

The sample consisted of 22 high-performance athletes (men= 16, junior boys= 6). The basic presupposition was to have been knocked out (KO) at least one time in an official game accompanied by cerebral concussion (after medical diagnosis). Athletes belonged to all weight categories. The average age of the athletes on the day they had the brain injury was 24 ± 6 years. Procedure: α) receipt of detailed biography (protocol of brain injuries), b) clinical tests, γ) MRI, CT, EEG findings. Frequencies, Cross-tabulation and Chi squared test were used for statistical analysis (SPSS, Version 10 for Windows). The level of significance was set at 0.05.

Results

The MRI image was normal in 64%, while normal variations were detected (18%), as well as random findings (18%). The brain vessels-MRI was also normal (91%), while normal variations were detected (9%). The cervical-MRI was normal in 82% and displayed cervical spondylosis (9%) and lumbar disk protractions (9%). Statistically, the connection of the ‘cervical-MRI’ variation, in relation to the variations ‘Total of Knock Outs (KO)’ and the ‘Total of Knock Downs (KD)’, displayed close relation between them (χ2= 22,272, p= 0,018, DF= 4 with Knock Outs and χ2= 25,667, p= 0,018, DF= 8 with Knock Downs).

Discussion / Conclusions

The results seem to indicate that from the brain-MRI, as well as the brain vessels and cervical one in Tae kwon do athletes, no anatomical damages were detected, minus a small percentage in the cervical one. It seems that Tae kwon do is less dangerous and ‘traumatic’ than believed and that the head and brain injuries that occurred in matches did not cause any long-termed damages to the athletes. The normal variations of the brain and of the brain vessels that were detected, do mot come from any occupation with sports and do not constitute any problem for the continuation of the workouts and of the matches. The conduction of an examination with MRI and/or CT-scan is considered essential after every KO, so as to exclude any possible damage.

References

[1]. Smith, P.K. (1987). Transmission of force through the karate, boxing and thumb less boxing glove as a function of velocity. In J. Terauds, J. Gowitzke, B.E. Holt, (eds.). Biomechanics in Sports III and IV, Academic Publishers, Del Mar, CA.
[2]. Symonds, C. (1962). Concussion and its sequel, Lancet, I: 1-5.
[3]. Haglund, Y. & Bergstrand, G. (1990). Does Swedish amateur boxing lead to chronic brain damage? A retrospective study with CT and MRI. Acta Neurology Scandinavian, 82, 297-302.
[4]. Jordan, B.D. & Zimmerman, R.D. (1988). Magnetic resonance imaging in amateur boxers. Archives of Neurology, 45, 1207-1208.