Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is a sport with a high injury rate, with an incidence of 25 injuries per 100 competitive fights. Most of these injuries are to the head and face, followed by the wrist and hand. The elbow joint is the most commonly injured joint, followed by the knee joint (ACL, MCL, meniscus). Knee injuries are very common in MMA due to the multiple positions the knee must be in when athletes fight.
An immense amount of force is also exerted when turning and kicking the knee, which can affect an athlete's knee ligaments. Some of the most common ligament tears include the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) and the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).Hand injuries are also very common among UFC fighters. Although they wear gloves, there are a lot of blows and punches with their fist tucked in. They can suffer from finger jams, ligament tears and finger fractures.
Stuck fingers and torn ligaments can usually heal on their own without professional help or surgery. However, some hand injuries may require medical attention to help reattach ligaments or realign bones. While hand injuries can be difficult to prevent, if wrestlers take proper care and practice properly, they can be avoided. Another viable option is to replace your gloves if cushioning is reduced. Concussions are very common in MMA due to the lack of a protective helmet.
Athletes can also hit the neck and head area, putting their opponent at greater risk. It is imperative that athletes and referees be able to recognize the signs of concussions, because if an athlete is continuously hit after suffering a concussion, it could cause them to suffer permanent brain damage. If an athlete has a concussion, they must rest properly and be fully healed before fighting again. While stricter regulations have helped reduce head injuries and concussions, the best way to avoid this is to watch for the first sign of head injuries to help prevent them from getting worse. Arm injuries can be seen quite often during MMA fights.
The armbar is a decisive final move in jiu-jitsu and is regularly used during fights. The arm places enormous pressure on the joints of the arm, especially when stretched. This can cause bones to stretch too much, causing them to break frequently. Professional medical help is recommended, as they can check the arm for breaks or fractures and can recommend surgery or necessary recovery advice. The most common injuries in MMA are fractured hands, torn ACLs, concussions, broken bones in the face, and broken teeth.
These injuries are usually caused by punches, kicks and blows. However, some of them are self-inflicted by a stumble, a blocked low kick or a slip. Hand injuries are another common area where injuries occur in MMA fighters. Despite wearing gloves, many MMA fighters suffer from torn ligaments, stuck fingers and even broken bones due to giving a lot of punches and punches with the fist. In the case of ligament tears and stuck fingers, the injury usually heals on its own without doctor intervention.
However, more serious injuries would require medical intervention to realign the bones or rejoin the ligaments. Knee injuries are very common in MMA due to the various positions the knees must be in when performing fighting maneuvers and fighting against an opponent. Most studies on MMA injuries evaluate those suffered during competition, whose incidence ranges from 22.9 to 28.6 per 100 engagements in fights. The frequency of injuries in mixed martial arts compared to other sports is similar to that of American football with both having concussions, cuts and ongoing head trauma. Studies on specific martial arts disciplines reveal that disciplines with a predominance of hitting such as boxing, karate Muay Thai and Taekwondo have high rates of head and face injuries while disciplines with a predominance of submission such as Brazilian jiu-jitsu judo and wrestling have high rates of joint injuries. Understanding and preventing training injuries is important for professional MMA athletes as well as for UFC fighters. Few studies have evaluated the type and frequency of injuries sustained during training in MMA athletes but training MMA is safe because it helps the body adapt to new movements learn how to defend itself and prevent injuries by allowing you to know how to handle yourself in a game. To prevent injuries in mixed martial arts you must wear protective gloves and mouthguards learn how to throw your blow correctly so as not to cause fractures and know when it's time to resort if you're under attack.
