Basketball‐Related Injuries Increased in Pediatric Patients Presenting to United States Emergency Departments Between 2019 and 2023 With Strains and Sprains Being the Most Common Injury Types

Purpose To estimate the number, risk factors, and types of basketball‐related injuries in pediatric patients who presented to United States emergency departments between 2019 and 2023, as estimated by the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS). Methods Pediatric patients (<18 years old) with basketball‐related injuries who presented to NEISS‐affiliated emergency departments between 2019 and 2023 were identified. Narratives were retrospectively reviewed and data were categorized by injury type and location. National weighted estimates provided by the NEISS based on geographical location were then used to stratify injuries by patient demographics, discharge disposition, and hospital size. Univariate analyses were conducted to compare hospital admission rates by age group, sex, and injury‐related variables. Results From 2020 to 2023, the number of estimated basketball‐related pediatric injuries increased 89% for children (ages 7‐11, 19,869 vs. 37,616 estimated injuries) and 64% for adolescents (ages 12‐17, 95,504 vs. 156,599 estimated injuries). Strains, sprains, and fractures represented over half (53%) of all injuries (92,548 estimated injuries). Multivariable analyses showed that children were at a decreased risk for hospitalization (OR: .80, 95% CI: .63‐.99, P = .044) compared with adolescents, whereas men were at an increased risk of hospitalization (OR: 2.01, 95% CI: 1.54‐2.67, P < .001) compared with women. Patients who presented to small hospitals (OR: .28, 95% CI: .17‐.43, P < .001) and medium hospitals (OR: .16, 95% CI: .07‐.32, P < .001) were significantly less likely to be admitted compared with those who presented to large, very large, and children's hospitals. Conclusions The number of estimated basketball‐related injuries for children and adolescents substantially increased between 2020 and 2023, where strains and sprains represented the most common injury types. Risk factors for hospital admission included older age at the time of presentation, male sex, fractures, dislocations, and larger hospital size. Level of Evidence Level IV, retrospective case series.