Laryngeal Trauma in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: A Case Report and Brief Review of the Literature

This report will present a unique case of a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner who sustained a displaced thyroid cartilage fracture during training, which required surgical treatment to prevent long-term voice complications. The existing medical literature and posts from a common Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu forum were queried to contextualize injuries that the authors contend are both underreported and avoidable. Despite the absence of similar cases in the medical literature, there was a relative abundance of forum posts outlining laryngotracheal symptoms (dysphonia, dysphagia, and odynophagia) sustained after Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training, for which most users did not seek medical care. These injuries are often the result of a particular set of techniques (chokeholds), highlighting an opportunity to educate practitioners and, potentially, to perform these techniques more safely.