An estimated 1,262 pickleball-related eye injuries occurred in 2024 —nearly triple the number seen in prior years—according to a JAMA Ophthalmology cross-sectional study analyzing two decades of emergency department data.
Using data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, researchers examined the incidence, demographics, and mechanisms of injury among patients presenting to US emergency departments for pickleball-related ocular trauma between 2005 and 2024. Data from January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2024, were downloaded and filtered in Excel. Pickleball-related cases were identified through a computer-assisted search of narrative text fields for “pickleball,” “pickle ball,” and common misspellings (“pickelball,” “pickel ball”). The analysis included deidentified records from approximately 100 US emergency departments representing a probability sample of more than 5,000 hospitals nationwide.
Of 2,472 pickleball-related injuries, 73 involved the eye, representing a weighted national estimate of 3,112 cases. No pickleball-related eye injuries were reported before 2014, but the number increased substantially thereafter, increasing by roughly 400 additional injuries annually from 2021 to 2024. Data were analyzed between October 2024 and July 2025 using survey-weighted linear regression and binomial generalized linear models to account for sampling design and weighting.
The mean patient age was 53.9 years, with 56% of injuries occurring in men and 70% in adults aged 50 years or older. Periocular lacerations were the most common (35%) , followed by corneal abrasions (16%), iritis (8%), and subconjunctival hemorrhage (5%). Severe ocular trauma—including retinal detachment, orbital fracture, and globe injury—represented fewer than 5% of cases.
Regarding mechanisms, 43% of injuries resulted from impact with a ball, 28% from falls, and 12% from contact with paddles. The mean age for fall-related injuries was 68.2 years, compared with 52.6 years for ball-related trauma.
“Eye protection is not currently mandated for casual or professional play. Establishing standardized guidelines for eye protection is recommended to reduce the risk of ocular injuries among players,” noted lead author Corey R. Lacher, MD, of the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, and colleagues.
Jonathan C. Tsui, MD, reported consulting fees from AbbVie Inc. and EyePoint and research funding from Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision outside the submitted work; no other disclosures were reported.
Source: JAMA Ophthalmology
