TOPLINE:

A study characterizing national patterns of ocular trauma from ball sports in the US found eye injuries due to pickleball rose from 2014 to 2023, disproportionately affecting older adults. These injuries were more frequently associated with falls or orbital fractures than were ocular injuries from dodgeball or kickball.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers conducted a retrospective analysis of a US database from 2014 to 2023 to characterize national patterns of ocular trauma related to pickleball, dodgeball, and kickball.
• Cases were identified by combining eye, face, and head injury codes with the “Other Ball Sports” product category and manually reviewing narratives to confirm the sport and an eye or orbital injury; each case was given a statistical weight based on hospital size, location, and emergency department volume, allowing extrapolation to national estimates.
• A total of 120 confirmed cases of ocular trauma attributable to dodgeball, kickball, or pickleball were identified, corresponding to a weighted national estimate of 7974 injuries; weighted estimates attributed 3874 cases to dodgeball, 2573 to pickleball, and 1527 to kickball.

TAKEAWAY:

• National estimates of pickleball-related ocular trauma rose from 2014 to 2023 (P = .04), whereas those of dodgeball- and kickball-related injuries showed no significant change.
• The mean age of patients involved in pickleball-related ocular trauma was 58.27 years (95% CI, 54.64-61.90), whereas dodgeball- and kickball-related ocular injuries primarily involved children or teenagers.
• Being hit directly by a ball in the eye was the most common mechanism of injury in all three sports, with corneal abrasion being the most frequent diagnosis; falls and orbital fractures were more common in pickleball players than in dodgeball or kickball players.
• Most pickleball-related eye injuries occurred at sports and recreational facilities, whereas dodgeball- and kickball-related injuries primarily occurred at school settings.

IN PRACTICE:

“These findings support the development of targeted interventions, such as age- and sport- specific protective eyewear, education campaigns, and better injury surveillance. Continued monitoring and prevention efforts will be crucial as participation in athletics continues to increase,” the researchers reported.

SOURCE:

The study was led by Jainam Shah and Sachin Pathuri, of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in The Bronx, New York. It was published online on January 16, 2025, in Eye.

LIMITATIONS:

The study only included patients presenting to emergency departments. The database lacked detailed clinical data. It also prohibited the release of case-level information that would allow identification, preventing the provision of detailed information on injury. 

DISCLOSURES:

The study had no external sources of funding. One author disclosed serving as consultant for various companies and another author declared serving on the editorial board of various ophthalmology-related journals.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.