DEFENSIVE AWARENESS FOR RINGSIDE PHYSICIANS

As ringside physicians, the safety of the athlete is our overwhelming objective. We need to be sure that things go right, but we also must be sure that things do NOT go wrong.  The rules, laws and conditions of each country and state may vary. Our professional and basic duty to protect the athlete is universal.

I personally reviewed 19 fatal or catastrophic boxing/martial arts injuries and served as an expert medical witness in three legal proceedings.  Important points must be highlighted from these case evaluations.  In some of these cases there was no oxygen at ringside.  A significant delay in the administration of oxygen represents a serious FAULT.

The failure to properly transport (or failure to arrange for rapid, efficient transport of an injured athlete to an appropriate medical facility) is also a significant matter. Timely medical care is a must.  Many times it is useful to make pre-arrangements with ambulance companies or hospitals in the area so they are aware that an athletic event is being planned.  Every Second after a serious injury will be anal7yzed and scrutinized.

Some common injuries in Boxing

Dr Calvin Inalsingh M.B., Ch. B. Aberdeen, Scotland.

Chairman, WBA Medical Advisory Committee

There is a lot written on the serious injuries in Boxing such as concussion, brain injuries, and fracture of the skull and facial bones. I would like to present to you some of the other injuries in Boxing such as cuts of the face, haematomas, eye injuries, hand injuries and strains and sprains.

Boxing is the only sport in which the objective is to render blows to the head and body of the opponent so as the cause the opponent to be incapacitated. Regardless who wins the fight; both boxers can have serious injuries at the end of twelve (12) rounds of boxing.

Drugs in Sports

by Dr Calvin Inalsingh M.B., Ch. B. Aberdeen, Scotland

Chairman, WBA Medical Advisory Committee

It is apparent that the usage of performance enhancing drugs is increasing by the elite athlete.

This is because of 3 factors: -

1. Testing for drugs has increased in frequency.

2. The laboratory testing has improved.

3. Most of the tests for drugs are performed on the athlete who has reached the finals of                     the event or the athlete who is competing against a champion.

Before the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea, when the 100 meters Gold Medalist, Ben Johnson, was found positive for steroids, the adage of “participation, and not winning, was the only thing” was the theme among competitors.

Today, because of the financial rewards an athlete can receive from winning an Olympic Gold Medal, the saying is changing to “Winning is the only thing”.

Preparation of the Boxer according to the sensor vestibular system

The boxing is a combat sport that, and no matter its physical structure, technique, tactics and its psychic demands, its main actions are attack and defense. In other words, boxing actions are hitting and try no to be hit, which are very complex actions that demand a great development of the boxer's coordination. The coordination is the boxer's ability to determine the preparation, direction capacity or good regulation of the motive action. This capacity is reflected by the choosing and execution of the needed actions that will allow him to solve the motive tasks in a correct, quick and ingenious way, specially those that arise unexpectedly as it usually happens in boxing.

In the sportsman physical preparation, there are six (6) basic motive qualities that are not shown in their pure state before a combat, but in complex interaction, which are force, speed, power, resistance, flexibility and coordination.

Nevertheless, at the moment the boxers and trainers focus their training toward the development and improvement of the power (force-quick), the resistance and in very low frequency towards flexibility, obviating the coordination as the basic element for a combat sport (box), that presents high demands on the analysis of both boxers movements in the space and the time. These analysis demands of his own movements as well as the opponent’s are the bases for the wonderful art of attack and defense.

THE KNOCKOUT IN BOXING

The knockout remains the most spectacular manifestation in the sport of boxing, thrilling the public and seemingly satisfying some deep primeval urge, but this has always been a worrying element to ringside physicians. I hope to explain some of the neurological knowledge on the subject of concussion and unconsciousness, and relate this to what one actually sees at the ringside when a boxer is stopped.
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WBA Ratings April 2012