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Pickleball is booming — and so are its injuries. A new study found that upper extremity injuries from the sport disproportionately affect women and players over 60, with fractures being the most common type. Injury rates skyrocketed nearly 12-fold between 2015 and 2021, prompting calls for better prevention strategies as the sport's popularity continues to climb.
Pickleball is America's fastest-growing sport, but a new descriptive epidemiology study reveals a less-celebrated trend: a sharp rise in upper extremity injuries, particularly among older adults and women. Analyzing nearly 15,000 pickleball-related injuries from 2014 to 2023 using National Electronic Injury Surveillance System data, researchers found that 83.1% of injuries occurred in players over 60 and 59% in women — a stark contrast to tennis, where men and younger players were more commonly injured.
Fractures led the injury tally, making up 58.6% of all pickleball-related upper extremity injuries — significantly higher than the 36.1% seen in tennis. The shoulder and forearm were the most frequently affected body parts. Beyond acute injuries, orthopedic experts note a growing burden of chronic overuse conditions like tendinopathies that often fly under the radar of emergency department surveillance.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: As pickleball participation surges, clinicians are urged to counsel patients — especially older women — on warm-up routines, proper equipment, and bone health to keep them safely on the court.
