A prospective recording of the injuries resulting from all bouts in 3 consecutive World Karate Championships (2009, 2011, and 2013) for 
cadets was performed. A total of 1020 bouts were reviewed, 671 in the male category and 349 in the female category. A total of 61 injuries were recorded. Of those, only 3 were time-loss injuries.
There seemed to be a marked increase as more championships are held. During the 2009 and 2011 championships, there was 1 injury per 25.6 fights, while during the 2013 championship the number of injuries increased, with 1 injury for every 10 fights. There was no statistical difference in the total injury rate between the male and female categories.
Source: American Journal of Sports Medicine, published online December 9, 2015
