The common mechanisms of anterior cruciate ligament injuries in judo: A retrospective analysis

Abstract

Background: Although high prevalence of anterior cruciate ligament injuries (ACL) in judokas has been reported, there has been very little research concerning events preceding the injury. Objective: To determine the common situations and mechanisms of ACL injury in judo. Methods: A total of 43 cases of ACL injuries that had occurred during judo competition or practice were investigated, using questionnaires with interviews conducted by a single certified athletic trainer who has 20 years of judo experience to obtain information regarding the situation and mechanism in which the ACL injury occurred. Results: The number of ACL injuries when the participant's grip style was different from the style of the opponent (ie, kenka-yotsu style) (28 cases) was significantly greater than when the participant's grip style was the same as that of the opponent (ie, ai-yotsu style) (15 cases; p,