{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,6]],"date-time":"2026-09-06T21:09:47Z","timestamp":1788728987308,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":27,"publisher":"Digital Journal of Opthalmology","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,13]],"date-time":"2026-06-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1781308800000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Digit J Ophthalmol"],"abstract":"<jats:p>PurposeTo characterize the epidemiology of pickleball-related eye injuries in the United States. \nMethodsData from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System were analyzed for individuals treated in US emergency departments (ED) for pickleball-related eye injuries from 2010 through 2023. \nResultsBased on a sample of 117 actual cases, there were an estimated 6,015 individuals treated in US emergency departments for pickleball-related eye injury. From 2022 to 2023, the rate of injuries increased by 37.3%. The mean age of individuals was 59.9 years. Approximately 54.7% of individuals were male. The most common mechanisms of injury were fall with facial trauma (n = 71 [60.7%]), direct impact from a pickleball paddle (n = 18 [15.4%]), and direct impact from a pickleball (n = 12 [10.3%]). The most frequently associated primary diagnoses were laceration (n = 45 [38.5%]), contusions or abrasions (n = 27 [23.1%]), blunt trauma (n = 17 [14.5), and fractures (n = 14 [12.0%]). The top two specific ocular surface or intraocular diagnoses were abrasions and iritis. Most individuals (n = 115 [98.3%]) were treated and released or examined and released without treatment. \nConclusionBased on our analysis of a national database, the frequency of pickleball-related eye injuries treated in US EDs has increased, although most ocular injuries are clinically minor.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.5693\/djo.01.2025.12.001","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,6]],"date-time":"2026-09-06T21:04:22Z","timestamp":1788728662000},"page":"26-31","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Pickleball-related eye injuries presenting to United States emergency departments, 2010-2023"],"prefix":"10.5693","volume":"32","author":[{"given":"Alisha","family":"Kamboj","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sandhya","family":"Kistamgari","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ali","family":"Mokhtarzadeh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andrew R.","family":"Harrison","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gary","family":"Smith","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"3822","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"24688","unstructured":"Turbert D. Eye injury prevention. American Academy of Ophthalmology EyeSmart. https:\/\/www.aao.org\/eye-health\/tips-prevention\/preventing-injuries. Published 2021. Accessed December 24, 2024."},{"key":"24689","unstructured":"Turbert D, Shelton B. Sports Eye Safety. American Academy of Ophthalmology EyeSmart. https:\/\/www.aao.org\/eye-health\/tips-prevention\/injuries-sports. Published 2024. Accessed December 24, 2024."},{"key":"24690","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Patel PS, Uppuluri A, Oydanich M, Langer PD, Zarbin MA, Bhagat N. Epidemiology of United States tennis-related ocular injuries from 2000 to 2019. Int Ophthalmol 2023;43:997-1003.","DOI":"10.1007\/s10792-022-02502-3"},{"key":"24691","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hoskin AK, Watson S, Kamalden TA. Badminton-related eye injuries: A systematic review. Inj Prev 2023;29:116-120.","DOI":"10.1136\/ip-2022-044564"},{"key":"24692","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Dewhurst N, Tangri D, Arslan J, Ashraf G, Chakrabarti R, Crock C. Ocular trauma in badminton: a 5-year review of badminton-related eye injury emergency department presentations. Emerg Med Australas 2024;36:915-9.","DOI":"10.1111\/1742-6723.14473"},{"key":"24693","unstructured":"Pardhan S, Shacklock P, Weatherill J. Sport-related eye trauma: a survey of the presentation of eye injuries to a casualty clinic and the use of protective eye-wear. Eye. 1995;9:50-53."},{"key":"24694","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kahle G, Dach T, Wollensak J. Eye injuries in squash. Klin Monbl Augenheilkd 1993;203:195-9.","DOI":"10.1055\/s-2008-1045667"},{"key":"24695","unstructured":"USA Pickleball. Pickleball Annual Growth Report. https:\/\/usapickleball.org\/about-us\/organizational-docs\/pickleball-annual-growth-report\/. Published 2024. Accessed December 24, 2024."},{"key":"24696","unstructured":"Association of Pickleball Players. New APP research reveals nearly 50 million adult Americans have played pickleball in the last 12 months; average age drops to 35."},{"key":"24697","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Huang H, Greven MA. Traumatic lens subluxation from pickleball injury: a case series. Retin Cases Br Rep 2024;18:15-7.","DOI":"10.1097\/ICB.0000000000001312"},{"key":"24698","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Alkawally M, Dang VT. Pickleball associated abrasion and iritis: a case study. CRO J 2021;32:367-72.","DOI":"10.57204\/001c.36828"},{"key":"24699","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Atkinson CF, Patron ME, Joondeph BC. Retinal tears due to pickleball injury. Retin Cases Br Reports 2022;16:312-3.","DOI":"10.1097\/ICB.0000000000000965"},{"key":"24700","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Boopathiraj N, Wagner I V., Krambeer CJ, et al. In a pickle: cases of pickleball related ocular injuries. Am J Ophthalmol Case Reports 2024;35:102082.","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ajoc.2024.102082"},{"key":"24701","unstructured":"United States Consumer Product Safety Commission. National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS). https:\/\/www.cpsc.gov\/Safety-Education\/Safety-Guides\/General-Information\/National-Electronic-Injury-Surveillance-System-NEISS. Accessed December 24, 2024."},{"key":"24702","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Weiss H, Dougherty J, DiMaggio C. Non-fatal senior pickleball and tennis-related injuries treated in United States emergency departments, 2010-2019. Inj Epidemiol 2021;8:34.","DOI":"10.1186\/s40621-021-00327-9"},{"key":"24703","unstructured":"US Census Bureau. Annual estimates of the resident population by single year of age and sex for the United States: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023. https:\/\/www.census.gov\/data\/tables\/time-series\/demo\/popest\/2020s-national-detail.html. 2024. Accessed January 23, 2025."},{"key":"24704","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ghattas YS, Zeblisky P, Cassinat J, Aceto M, Spindler KP, Cannada LK. Pickleball-related fractures in the United States from 2002 to 2022: an analysis using the NEISS database. Orthop J Sport Med 2024;12:23259671241255670.","DOI":"10.1177\/23259671241255674"},{"key":"24705","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Firouzbakht PK, Bagdady K, Gupta R, Lu SM, Chen K. Quite a pickle: a 10-year increase in pickleball-related hand injuries. Hand 2024;17:15589447241238372.","DOI":"10.1177\/15589447241238371"},{"key":"24706","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kingston K, Parker EB, Higgins A, Smith JT. Emerging patterns of foot and ankle injuries in pickleball players: a short report. Foot Ankle Int 2024;45:1266-9.","DOI":"10.1177\/10711007241271215"},{"key":"24707","unstructured":"Austin D. Pickleball: the health benefits of a sport that\u2019s boomed in the pandemic. US News & World Report. https:\/\/www.usnews.com\/news\/health-news\/articles\/2022-04-20\/pickleball-the-health-benefits-of-a-sport-thats-boomed-in-the-pandemic. 2022. Accessed December 24, 2024."},{"key":"24708","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Casper JM, Bocarro JN, Lothary AF. An examination of pickleball participation, social connections, and psychological well-being among seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic. World Leis J 2021;63:1-17.","DOI":"10.1080\/16078055.2021.1957708"},{"key":"24709","unstructured":"USA Pickleball. 2023 USA Pickleball Fact Sheet. https:\/\/www.usapickleball.org\/docs\/USA-Pickleball-Fact-Sheet-2023.pdf. 2023. Accessed December 24, 2024."},{"key":"24710","unstructured":"The ultimate guide to pickleball balls. Net World Sports. https:\/\/www.networldsports.com\/buyers-guides\/pickleball-ball-guide#:~:text=How fast do pickleball balls,it reaches speeds of 60mph. 2024. Accessed December 24, 2024."},{"key":"24711","unstructured":"Fuller GF. Falls in the elderly. Am Fam Physician 2000;61:2159-68."},{"key":"24712","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Waisberg E, Ong J, Lee AG. Pickleball eye injuries: ocular protection recommendations and guidelines. Eye 2024;38:1039-40.","DOI":"10.1038\/s41433-023-02870-9"},{"key":"24713","unstructured":"Mott M. Historic moments in sports eye protection. American Academy of Ophthalmology EyeSmart. https:\/\/www.aao.org\/eye-health\/tips-prevention\/sports-eye-protection-history. 2022. Accessed December 24, 2024."},{"key":"24714","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Mazarelo JFD, Winter SL, Fong DTP. A systematic review on the effectiveness of eyewear in reducing the incidence and severity of eye injuries in racket sports. Phys Sportsmed 2024;52:115-24.","DOI":"10.1080\/00913847.2023.2196934"}],"container-title":["Digital Journal of Ophthalmology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/djo.harvard.edu\/index.php\/djo\/article\/download\/1706\/689","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/djo.harvard.edu\/index.php\/djo\/article\/download\/1706\/689","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,6]],"date-time":"2026-09-06T21:04:26Z","timestamp":1788728666000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/djo.harvard.edu\/index.php\/djo\/article\/view\/1706"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,13]]},"references-count":27,"journal-issue":{"issue":"2","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,30]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.5693\/djo.01.2025.12.001","relation":{},"ISSN":["1542-8958"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1542-8958","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,13]]}}}