Pickleball Injuries Surge in ER Visits

Emergency department visits for pickleball musculoskeletal injuries in the United States rose sharply over an 11-year period, according to a new study.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Arthritis

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Emergency department visits for pickleball-related musculoskeletal injuries in the United States surged between 2014 and 2024, particularly after 2022, while tennis-related visits remained relatively stable over the same period. The study was published online in Injury on October 30, 2026.

Why it matters

Pickleball patients in the study had a mean age of 60.1 years, compared with 40.9 years for tennis patients, suggesting the sport is drawing older adults who face higher fracture risk. Fractures accounted for 43.1% of pickleball injuries, highlighting a potentially serious health burden for the sport's growing participant base.

The analysis drew on the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission database sampling hospital emergency departments nationwide, and included 4,141 musculoskeletal cases from an initial 7,993. Wrist injuries were the most common site in pickleball (17.0%), while ankle injuries led in tennis (18.3%).

The players

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

The federal agency that operates the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, a nationwide database of emergency department injury data used to track consumer product-related injuries.

Gainesville, Florida institution of the lead author

The lead author's home institution, which is referenced in the study's authorship information and is not independently named in the extraction.

The details

Researchers identified cases using sport-specific product codes and narrative keywords, then manually reviewed each narrative to confirm a play-related musculoskeletal injury. Sprains or strains accounted for 46.4% of tennis injuries, and hospital admissions followed 7.8% of pickleball injuries compared with 3.9% of tennis injuries.

2014 through 2024: study period covering emergency department visits for both sports.
After 2022: period of notable increase in pickleball-related emergency visits.
October 30, 2026: study published online in the journal Injury.

Big Picture

The study relies on the NEISS surveillance system, which has tracked sports and recreation injuries nationwide for decades, to document how a fast-growing sport is reshaping the injury profile of recreational athletics. The rise of pickleball among adults over 65 marks a departure from tennis, whose injury patterns remained stable across the same period.

Adults over 65 who play pickleball face a notable fracture risk, particularly at the wrist, so protective strategies and fall prevention deserve attention. Those experiencing wrist or ankle pain after play should seek evaluation rather than assuming a simple sprain.

The takeaway

Pickleball's rapid growth is bringing a new injury profile to older adults, with fractures and wrist injuries standing out. Players in this age group may benefit from warm-ups, balance work, and careful attention to early pain.