TOPLINE:

US emergency departments saw more than 3100 pickleball-related ocular injuries between 2005 and 2024, with 1262 cases in 2024 alone, researchers estimated. Most of the eye injuries occurred in players over age 50 years.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers conducted a cross-sectional study using the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database, based on a nationally representative probability sample of hospitals in the US.
• They searched hospital records to identify patients with pickleball-related injuries and estimated nationwide totals.

TAKEAWAY:

• The researchers identified 2472 records with any type of pickleball-related injury (national estimate: 137,471 injuries).
• Of these injuries, 73 involved the eyes (national estimate: 3112 eye injuries).
• About 70% of the eye injuries occurred in patients aged 50 years or older.
• Severe eye injuries included retinal detachment, orbital fracture, globe trauma, and hyphema, with mechanisms including direct hits by pickleballs and paddles, and falls.
• One model estimated the incidence of eye injuries associated with the sport increased by 405 cases annually from 2021 to 2024 (95% CI, 288-522 cases; P = .004).

IN PRACTICE:

“Eye protection is not currently mandated for casual or professional play,” the researchers of the study wrote. “Establishing standardized guidelines for eye protection is recommended to reduce the risk of ocular injuries among players.”

Educational campaigns to encourage protective eyewear have “shown success in other sports, including squash,” an invited commentary published with the study noted.

SOURCE:

Jonathan C. Tsui, MD, with Veterans Affairs NJ Healthcare System in East Orange, New Jersey, was the corresponding author for the study, which was published online October 16 in JAMA Ophthalmology.

LIMITATIONS:

The analysis was based on a small number of cases and may not fully represent all hospitals in the US. Because the analysis only included patients seen at emergency departments, it likely underestimates the true number of pickleball-related ocular injuries, the researchers of the study wrote.

DISCLOSURES:

Tsui has received consulting fees from AbbVie and EyePoint, as well as grants and research funding from Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision.

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