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Abstract

Background: Cauliflower ear is one of the most common injuries that occur during training and competition wrestling. In the upper extremity injuries, more common among wrestlers have cauliflower ear and due to the possible effects on hearing ear fracture, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect on hearing the wrestlers had cauliflower ears. Methods: Sixty professional wrestlers in Yazd province participated in this study. (The mean and standard deviation of age: 23.8 ± 2.2 years, height: 174 ± 5.8 cm, weighs: 69.3 ± 5.7 kg). Wrestlers did not have any record of such surgery and ear diseases. The samples were divided into three groups, 20 subjects had one cauliflower ear, and 20 subjects had both cauliflower ears and 20 subjects with healthy ears as control group. Hearing of the subjects was measured using audiometry test. Results: Results showed that the hearing level in one cauliflower ear wrestlers were 26.88 ± 4.22 dB, Wrestlers with cauliflower in both ears 28.83 ± 3.09 dB, while in control with healthy ear hearing was 2.42 ± 2.77 dB. The hearing in the cauliflower ears is significantly lower than healthy control group. Subjects with both cauliflower ears had more hearing lose than wrestlers with one cauliflower ear. It was more hearing loss in the higher frequencies, by increasing the frequency of hearing loss was increased. In statistic balance the subjects with CF ear/s had significant worse balance and in dynamic balance subjects with CF ear/s had less balance than peer groups (P < 0.001). Subjects with both CF ears had worse balance record especially in non-dominant leg (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The team’s coaches and trainer should notice to these issues and also should revise the rules and using protection equipments for preventing this injury in wrestlers.