Sport-specific injury profiles and associated factors in elite wrestlers and judokas.

Background: Wrestling and judo involve repeated physical contact and substantial musculoskeletal demands. Although the two sports share structural similarities, differences in sport-specific demands may be associated with distinct injury characteristics. This study compared self-reported injury profiles between elite wrestlers and judokas and examined factors associated with reporting multiple injury episodes. Methods: This cross-sectional comparative study included 289 Turkish National Team athletes, comprising 143 wrestlers and 146 judokas. Injury and health-problem data were collected retrospectively across the athletes' competitive careers using a structured self-report form. Athlete-level comparisons, ordinal logistic regression, generalized estimating equation models accounting for within-athlete clustering, false discovery rate correction, and multivariable binary logistic regression were applied. Results: Wrestlers reported a significantly higher weekly training frequency than judokas ( Conclusion: Limited sport-related differences were identified in self-reported injury-location patterns, with significant differences remaining only for neck injuries and other shoulder injuries after correction for multiple comparisons. Athletic experience and weekly training frequency were associated with reporting multiple injury episodes. The findings should be interpreted as retrospective self-reported injury frequencies and associations rather than exposure-adjusted injury incidence rates or causal relationships.