Head injuries are becoming an increasing concern, especially with contact sports. Successive concussions without treatment are also an issue. Concussive force to the head can be caused by a variety of biomechanical forces including impact between brain and skull due to angular or straight force on head, traction on brainstem neurons due to forceful movement of hemispheres, skull bone deformation and eventual deformation of brain tissue, acceleration of head on axis of neck (whiplash). The trauma to the brain causes neuronal axon stretching and injury which leads to unrestricted influx and efflux of ions in neurons. The neurons try to restore the balance of ions by using energy-driven pumps. This sends cellular metabolism into overdrive and eventually gets depressed. Calcium ions also accumulate which sends signals for cell death. It takes a while for neurons to recover, especially if there has been physical damage to the neurons or axons.
How much force does it take to cause a concussion? Well, it varies. A professional and champion boxer can strike with 993 pounds of force, as seen on National Geographic’s Fight Science. This was a straight-on punch. With that amount of force, the brain would definitely slide back and forth and impact with the skull. Do punches with less force also result in brain trauma? Or how about punches from different angles, like an uppercut or a hook punch?
Concussions are an issue in any sport, especially football, hockey, boxing, and MMA. Mixed martial arts is fairly new in the popular realm, but from what I’ve seen it is one of the safest in terms of brain injuries. A major component of MMA is grappling where joint locks are used to bring opponents into submission. Numerous fights end in a tap-out rather than a knockout. Also, referees are able to stop fights after the first blow that seems like it resulted in a concussion. Not only that, but medical exams before and after fights are conducted, along with medical suspensions that are required in the UFC. Although there may seem like a lot of risks, many fighters know what they are getting into, even the future concerns. For a video featuring UFC president Dana White along with other fighters describing the precautions with concussions, please follow the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fc2oIIEv20E
And for more information about concussions and precautions for both athletes and coaches, check out the CDC website: http://www.cdc.gov/features/concussion/
Axons, Concussions, and MMA
