Page 42 - Safe Wrestling

Matej Ipavec

wrestlers and may require surgical intervention. Anterior cruciate liga-
ment (ACL) injuries are generally associated with rotational forces acting
on a planted foot while the lower limb is near full extension, frequently
occurring during takedown exchanges. Previous investigations have esti-
mated that ACL injuries account for approximately 10.4% of knee injuries
in wrestling populations (Marigi et al., 2022). In parallel with ligamentous
trauma, meniscal injuries represent another clinically important path-
way to time loss and operative management, owing to the combination
of axial loading, twisting, and forced flexion encountered during sprawls,
scrambles, and defensive entanglements. Collectively, these mechanisms
explain why lower-extremity injury prevention in wrestling must priori-
tise movement quality, strength development, and technical refinement
of takedown and defensive mechanics.
Spinal and head/neck injuries are particularly consequential because,
although many are relatively minor, a subset may be severely disabling
or even life-threatening. This concern is especially relevant in wrestling
given the severity profile identified in collegiate injury surveillance. In
a multi-sport National Collegiate Athletic Association analysis spanning
five years and 25 sports, wrestling demonstrated the highest rate of severe
injury at 1.73 per 1,000 athlete-exposures (Kay et al., 2017). Furthermore,
severe injuries involving the head and neck comprise a clinically impor-
tant proportion of all severe sport injuries, and wrestling is consistent-
ly identified as a discipline associated with elevated exposure to high-
risk mechanisms affecting these anatomical regions (Kay et al., 2017).
The consequences of such injuries may range from temporary disabili-
ty to career-ending symptoms and can include long-term disruption of
daily functioning and quality of life (Brinkman et al., 2021; Otero et al.,
2017).
Finally, collegiate programme data demonstrate a substantial burden
of skin lacerations and infectious conditions alongside lower-extremity
injuries, reinforcing the need for prevention strategies that integrate
technical instruction, training-load management, hygiene and infection-
control protocols, and safer weight-management practices (Molnár et al.,
2022).
Taken together, the existing literature portrays wrestling as a sport
characterised by a distinctive injury phenotype shaped by high-intensity
contact, complex multiplanar loading, and weight-class behaviours. This
results in an injury burden encompassing acute sprains and strains, lac-
erations, clinically significant ligament and meniscal injuries, and less

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