Head injury risk is high in mixed martial arts: study

Head injury risk is high in mixed martial arts: study By Allison Bond NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The rate of serious head injuries among professional mixed martial arts competitors is potentially twice that of professional football players, according to U.S. researchers. With the sport growing in popularity, especially among youth, new rules may be needed to protect kids and professionals alike from repeated traumatic brain injuries, a new study concludes. "When people compare mixed martial arts to other sports, we need to take into account the risk of persistent effects down the line," said Michael Hutchison, a researcher at the University of Toronto who led the work. The popularity of mixed martial arts, which combines techniques and skills from a variety of fight disciplines including judo, karate and kickboxing, has exploded around the globe in recent years.



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