Pickleball-related Orthopaedic Injury Presentations to a Large Urban Healthcare System From 2015 to 2024

Introduction: Pickleball is the most rapidly growing sport in the United States. No study to date has analyzed the injury burden on a single large urban healthcare system. We hypothesized that the incidence of pickleball-related injuries and presentations to all clinical settings in a single healthcare system, including the emergency department, urgent care, and outpatient clinic, increased markedly over a 10-year period. Methods: Deep6 software was used to identify patients using keywords encompassing the gamut of pickleball injuries presenting to the emergency department, urgent care, or outpatient clinic between 2015 and 2024. Charts were retrospectively reviewed, and data were collected regarding patient demographics, injury characteristics, and diagnosis and treatment information. Results: Five hundred forty-five patients were included in the study. The mean age was 58.66 years, with 62% of the study population aged 50 to 69 years old. The mean body mass index was 25.46, and 51% of patients were female. The incidence of pickleball injuries increased year after year, including a 386% increase in injuries from 2022 to 2023. Initial encounters were most common in an orthopaedic outpatient clinic (71%). The most common diagnoses in this study were exacerbation of osteoarthritis (16%), meniscus tear (11%), wrist fracture (5.7%), Achilles rupture (5.5%), and epicondylitis (5.1%). Achilles repair (22 patients) and partial meniscectomy (21 patients) were the most common surgeries performed. Conclusion: Pickleball injuries continue to rise and are most commonly presenting to outpatient orthopaedic clinics. As pickleball gains popularity, so too will the prevalence of pickleball-related injuries requiring medical attention.