# Analysis of Sports Injury in Lower Extremities of High School Taekwondo Athletes
## 1 Introduction  
Sports injury is a significant factor that weakens the performance levels of athletes, though various opinions exist regarding the matter. Ref. [1] argued that prevention of lower extremity injuries among Taekwondo players is essential since they are experienced by 75% of Taekwondo athletes experience lower extremities injuries. In addition, according to [2], the rate of lower extremity injuries suffered by Taekwondo players is significantly higher (60.5%) than injuries to other joints. According to a study by [3], international sports organizations such as the Federation International de Football Association (FIFA) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are involved in various efforts to prevent and deal with sports injuries.  
Sports injuries commonly occur in athletes during competition and practice routines. Moreover, as [4] argued, the causes of injuries include cumulative fatigue from repeated training, the lack of warm-up exercises, and th absence of motivation during the competition. In addition, [PERSON] et al. [5] reported that injuries vary according to the characteristics of each sport, and risk of injury is related to dynamic interaction with the opponent and high levels of training exposure. Ref. [6] surveyed the injuries of athleteswho participated in the 2012 London Olympic Games and found that Taekwondo, soccer, and bicycle motocross (BMX) athletes more frequently suffered injuries.  
In particular, Taekwondo, which causes many sports injuries, involves one-on-one competition with an opponent. According to the characteristics of Taekwondo competition, sports damage frequently occurs while hitting an opponent, or while putting down the foot after engaging in a foot maneuver. About 66.7% of participants suffer injuries, experiencing more lower-limb than upper-limb injuries [7].  
In Taekwondo competitions, sports injuries commonly involve three sites in the lower extremities: the ankles, knees, and thighs [8]. These sports injuries appear to have a significant impact on the levels of stress, anxiety, and confidence, and on the degree of sport continuation among Taekwondo athletes [9]. In addition, sports injury is also an important concern for coaches.  
Several previous studies on sports injuries in Taekwondo events were conducted during certain competitions or events, such as the World Cup or national team events [7]. In Korea, a study was conducted on sports injury in high school athletes [9]. These studies provided data on sports injury and its prevention; however, they did not identify detailed characteristics regarding the mechanism of the injuries that occur in athletes. In addition, as the regulations of Taekwondo competitions continue to change, the performance skills and training methods of the athletes change correspondingly. Therefore, it may be appropriate to study the recent trends in sports injuries in Taekwondo.  
In this study, we aimed to determine the frequency and characteristics of lower extremity injuries in high school Taekwondo athletes. Hence, an extensive investigation was conducted regarding the frequency of sports injury, the cause of the sports injury (such as injury by person), non-contact injury, the degree of injury (such as if it required surgery, a cast, rest, etc.), and time of injury (during competition or during practice).