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Final Program

1450 - What’s the Dill with Pickleball? The Jarring Single-Center Epidemiology of Upper Extremity Musculoskeletal Injury in America’s Fastest Growing Sport

Thursday, February 27, 2025
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM MST

    Co-Author(s)

  • YM

    Yue Meng, MD

    MD
    Stanford Hospital
    Menlo Park, California, United States

    • Presenting Author(s)

  • AC

    Aaron R. Chen, n/a

    Medical Student
    Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University
    Setauket, New York, United States

    • Co-Author(s)

  • MK

    Matthew Kaufman, MD

    Resident Physician
    Stanford University PM&R Program
    Redwood City, California, United States

  • CN

    Chantal Nguyen, MD

    Resident Physician
    Stanford University PM&R Program
    Redwood City, California, United States

  • RC

    Raymond Chou, MD

    Clinical Assistant Professor
    Stanford University School of Medicine
    Redwood City, California, United States

  • ER

    Eugene Y. Roh, MD

    Clinical Assistant Professor
    Stanford University Medical Center
    Redwood City, California, United States

Objectives: To describe the epidemiology of pickleball-related upper extremity injuries and evaluate effects of patient-specific factors on incidence and type of injury. We also examined mechanisms of injury and treatment outcomes.

Design: Cross-sectional study of 61 total patients presenting to outpatient Orthopedic or Physiatry clinics at an academic medical center with pickleball injuries to the shoulder (n=23), elbow (n=8), or wrist/hand (n=31) in the last 5 years. We determined p</b>ercentages of patient-specific factors among injury cases (e.g. gender, age, laterality, follow up duration), type and mechanism of injury, treatment modality, and return to sport measurements.

Results:

We provide 3 tables summarizing injury rates by body part and patient factor. The most common pickleball-related shoulder injury was rotator cuff tear (53.3%), elbow injury was lateral epicondylitis (75.0%), and hand/wrist injury was distal radius fracture after a fall (56.3%). The mean patient age at presentation was 64-66. Rates of injury were similar between male and female players, except in the hand/wrist, which was higher among female players (76.7%). Injuries occurred most often to the non-paddle side in the hand/wrist (51.7%) compared to shoulder (6.7%) or elbow (16.7%) (p< 0.01). Mean follow-up duration was the longest for management of shoulder injuries (12.0 months, p< 0.01). Hand/wrist injuries had the lowest rate of injections as the treatment modality of choice (p< 0.01).

Conclusions:

As pickleball has been the fastest growing sport in America, the incidence of pickleball-related injuries has risen dramatically. We detail injury mechanisms in our patient population sorted by body part, with our corresponding injury prevention recommendations. For example, rotator cuff tears occurred most frequently secondary to overhead shots and we recommended targeted muscle strengthening exercises and play modification limiting overhead motions until symptoms improve. Proper footwear as well as off-the-court training in proprioception, balance, and coordination are also important in fall prevention and play optimization.