Dr. Maroon received an athletic scholarship to Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana where as an undergraduate, he was named a Scholastic All-American in football. Dr. Maroon has successfully maintained his personal athletic interests through participation in 9 marathons and more than 72 Olympic-distance triathlon events. However, his greatest athletic accomplishment is his participation in 8 Ironman triathlons (Hawaii – 1993, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2013; Canada – 1995; New Zealand – 1997; Germany – 2000), where he usually finishes in the top 10 of his age group. Recently, in July 2012 and 2013, he finished second and third, respectively, in his age group in the Muncie, Indiana half Ironman triathlon. In October 2013 he completed his 5th World Championship Ironman in Kona, Hawaii.Newest Article by Dr Joseph Maroon Highlights Head and Spine Concerns of Martial Arts
Sept 2026 Neurosurgeon and Concussion expert, Dr. Joseph Maroon, along with lead researcher, Dr. William Rabon and Drs. Zayaan Tirmizi, Benjamin Carnovale, Raj Swaroop Lavadi, James H. Mooney, D. Kojo Hamilton, Vincent J. Miele and Nitin Agarwal, published a provocative article in the Journal of Clinical Neuroscience, entitled, Fighting for safety: head and spine injuries in martial arts presenting to U.S. emergency departments
In the article the researchers investigated repetitive impacts to the head and spine that required medical evaluations due to martial arts-related injuries. They reported on cases found in the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) and surveyed for martial arts injuries from 2014 to 2023. They found over a ten-year period that 1,104 martial arts-related injuries were reported out of a national estimate of of 36,635.
Jiu-jitsu (26.9%) and karate (26.8%) were most frequently associated with injury. Among the most common injuries were lumbar (19.8%) and cervical (18.3%) strains, with throwing or flipping an opponent (17.1%) as the predominant mechanism. Concussions were more
common in younger patients, particularly in the 10–19 (30.6%) and 20–29 (23.4%) age groups. Concussions constituted 18.4% of all injuries, with jiu-jitsu (26.8%) and karate (26.7%) being the most causational fighting styles.
The Authors concluded that martial arts-related head, neck, and spine injuries were significant and that these findings underscore the value of continued attention to safety practices in martial arts participation. Article
Concern Over “Slap” FIghters
In 2024, in a prior article, Neurosurgeons, Drs. Nitin Agarwal, Joseph Maroon and others at University of Pittsburgh’s School of Medicine, had previously published a study that recorded and quantified signs of concussion in slap fighters. This was first-of-its-kind study identified the brutal dangers of slap fighting, including an approximately 80% risk of signs of concussion when participating in an event.
See in a Video Interview by CBS News done by Dr. Agarwal, describes the video finding for concussion they found when analyzing videos of slap fighters. The article appeared in JAMA Surgery on September 18, 2024, entitled, Video Analysis of Concussion Among Slap Fighting Athletes
A total of 78 fights were analyzed, comprising 333 slaps and 139 sequences among 56 contestants. Concussive signs were observed after 97 slaps (29.1%) and 72 sequences (51.8%). Of the 56 contestants, 44 (78.6%) had at least 1 concussive sign, and 20 instances of second impact (ie, a contestant showing a visible sign of concussion after having shown signs after a previous slap) were observed.
The article was also highlighted by Yahoo News on Sept 23, 2024, entitled, Slap fighting causes high risk of brain injury, doctors call for safeguards over alarming concussion rates.