Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Injuries in Shiraz Male Wushu Players: A Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Wushu is one of the martial arts that combines explosive strengthand speed movements with combat techniques. Most studies to date of wushurelatedinjuries have been published in Chinese languages. No published studieshave reported the prevalence of these injuries in Iran. Therefore, the aim of thepresent study was to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal injuries inmale wushu players in Shiraz.Methods: Male wushu athletes aged 18 to 30 years were included in this crosssectional study if they had been practicing for 2 hours per session, twice a weekduring the past 3 years. The athletes were recruited by convenience samplingfrom 30 wushu clubs in Shiraz, Iran. The sample size was 165. The study wasconducted from June to September 2016. Each participant was asked to completean information questionnaire about his musculoskeletal injuries related towushu during the previous year.Results: About two third (65.45%) of wushu players had one or more injuriesduring the previous year. Severe injuries were most commonly located in thehead/neck and knee/tibia areas, and inflammation was more prevalent than theother types of injuries.Conclusion: Wushu players in this study reported a high prevalence of injuriesaffecting different parts of the body.