By: Sean Crose
The Association of Ringside Physicians (ARP) on Friday announced that it is “proud to announce the release of a special report examining head injury deaths in combat sports since the 1980s.” 2000 to 2019”. The ultimate goal of ARP is to make combat sports activities safer. ARP Board Chairman Dr John Neidecker said: “There is inherent risk in combat sports. “The aim of this study was to identify mortality trends in professional boxing matches over the past twenty years and document any findings that could be used to improve athlete safety. in combat sports.”
According to the report: “The data shows that of the 428,904 fights that professional boxing helped between 2000 and 2019, 84 deaths related to head injuries occurred, a mortality rate of about one in 5,000 fights. ” According to ARP’s press release, “reports show a higher likelihood of death when boxers are in lower weight classes, fights continue into later rounds, or a fighter loses by knockout or knockout.” technical relay (KO/TKO). Among these factors, KO/TKO losses showed the highest correlation with mortality, with 76% of deaths studied showing an association with KO/TKO. ”
Neidecker said that “one clear finding from this report is that the medical team must take prompt action after a KO/TKO to assess and ensure the safety of the athlete.” Neidecker also states that “continued assessment of these trends over time will reveal an increasingly clear picture of the risk factors and trends associated with head injury-related mortality in the combat sport.”
The research is said to have started as a response to the recent deaths of two boxers. “In 2019,” wrote ARP, “two boxers, Maxim Dadshev and Hugh Alfredo Santillan, died within a week of head injuries during professional boxing matches. These tragedies have led some authorities to call for a ban on combat sports. While previous studies have examined rates of chronic traumatic brain injury in professional combat sports athletes, to date very few studies have examined specifically traumatic deaths. early in the game. Understanding and mitigating the risks to fighters also requires careful accounting of these data. ”
ARP describes itself as: “a member-run non-profit organization dedicated to protecting athletes worldwide by advocating combat sport safety best practices and by providing provides continuing medical education to the broader boxing and mixed martial arts communities. Members include physicians, allied health care professionals, students, members of government committees, sanctioning agencies, promoters, coaches, and others involved in the provision of services. health, safety and welfare of those involved in amateur and professional combat sports. ”
