Lower Extremity Risk Factors in Iranian Adolescent Taekwondo Players

Background: Taekwondo is a martial art and contact sport in which the athletes' goal is to strike the opponent with maximal force. This fact exposes Taekwondo practitioners to the permanent risk of injuries. Therefore, this prospective study investigated the internal risk factors of lower extremity injuries among adolescent male taekwondo players. Methods: In total, 60 adolescent Taekwondo players of Iran Premier League voluntarily participated in this research. Before league commencement, navicular drop, Q angle, knee hyperextension angle, dorsiflexion/plantarflexion range of motion, hamstring flexibility, and their dynamic balance were measured. Then, the injuries of the studied taekwondo players were recorded. Results: The injury incidence rate was 7.9 per 1000 hours of exposure (95% confidence interval, 5.33-10.40). The logistic regression results indicated a significant relationship between the Q angle and injuries incidence rate (OR=1.33, P=0.031). The taekwondo players with Q angles of >14.5° were 1.33 times more prone to lower limb injury. However, in terms of the other risk factors, no significant relationship was observed with injuries incidence. Conclusion: The current research findings suggested that Q angle could predict lower limb injuries in the studied taekwondo players. Therefore, it is recommended that this index be evaluated in the preparticipation evaluation process and considered in preventive strategies.