Nasal injuries in amateur male boxers before and after the 2013 rule change by the International Boxing Association removing the protective headgear

Abstract

Boxing is a popular combat sport in which participants frequently experience head trauma. The neurological impact of boxing has been widely discussed, but the impact on the bone and soft tissue of the head has been less investigated. For this study, a national emergency department database was used to investigate the impact of a 2013 rule change — removing the requirement for amateurs to wear head protection — on the frequency and type of facial injuries sustained by amateur boxers. Over the study period (2006–2021) there were 11 760 injuries, with 6261 occurring before the change and 5499 occurring after (p < 0.001). The number of contusions, fractures, hematomas, and hemorrhages all significantly decreased after the rule change, while the number of lacerations did not. Additionally, the number of septal deviations increased from 16 to 97 (p < 0.001). According to age-group-specific analysis, injuries decreased in both the 0–17 and 24–29 cohorts, but increased in the 18–23 group. The results suggest that the rule change may have had a protective effect on the risk of craniofacial trauma in amateur boxers, potentially due to increased risk-averse behavior by the boxers, who may feel less protected during sparring because of the lack of head protection.