Boxing-related ocular injuries in the United States Army, 1980 to 1985.

Boxing is a controversial sport in which neurologic and ocular injuries can be particularly devastating. Currently, competitive boxing is promoted throughout the military. Ocular injuries attributable to military boxing were studied as a subset of a larger study of boxing-related injuries. Ocular injuries occurred in 5% (22/401) of soldiers hospitalized for boxing-related trauma. The 22 patients with eye injuries spent an average of 8.1 days in the hospital and 17.8 days unfit for duty. Ocular injuries, on average, resulted in a longer hospitalization and disability than all other boxing injuries. One soldier was blind in one eye after complications from a ruptured globe.