Several sports organizations have reported to the Sports Directorate and the Directorate General of Health (DGS) that certain disciplines (kickboxing, Muay Thai, etc.) allow “knockout” matches—that is, matches resulting in concussion—for participants as young as 15 or 16, and that such “knockouts” are relatively common. Following this report, the DGS tasked Santé publique France with conducting a detailed analysis of combat sports injuries occurring among minors.

Combat sports injuries are too common among youth aged 10–18

Accidents involving combat sports were described using data from the Permanent Survey on Accidents of Daily Life (EPAC), which is based on the comprehensive recording of emergency room visits for accidents of daily life (AcVC) in 10 hospitals in France* during 2016–2018. The analysis by Santé publique France shows that:

• 1,340 emergency department visits related to combat sports (judo/jiu-jitsu, boxing, wrestling, karate, kickboxing) were recorded among 10- to 18-year-olds, representing 16 per 1,000 of all visits due to accidents of daily life,

• the number of visits remains stable and primarily involves boys and younger children,

• the hospitalization rate for combat sports injuries is comparable to the hospitalization rate for all sports combined (3%),

• for 4% of all combat sports injuries among 10- to 18-year-olds, a head injury was diagnosed, 96% of which involved a concussion.

This survey indicates that combat sports injuries, given the potential consequences they may entail, are too common among 10- to 18-year-olds. Concussions, in particular, can lead to long-term effects and somatic complications and have consequences for a child’s development, academic progress, and learning.

It should be noted that the EPAC survey collects data on emergency room visits from only 10 hospitals, and that injured individuals who do not visit the emergency room are not included in the count. The results presented here therefore do not allow us to determine the total number of accidents resulting from the practice of combat sports in France or to compare this number of accidents to the number of combat sports participants. Nor do they allow for a comparison of accident rates across different combat sports. A complementary study, using other data sources (such as sports federations), is necessary to measure the incidence of these injuries in combat sports.