A recent study presented at the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society Annual Meeting found that foot and ankle injuries among Pickleball players are up 6.5 fold from 2019 to 2023. These injuries weren’t just bumps and bruises, either. In the small study, researchers found that Achilles tendon tears were the most common reason why Pickleball players sought out orthopedic care.
In the cross-sectional retrospective review, researchers explored the demographics, injuries, treatment and mechanism of injury among patients with foot and ankle injuries that occurred while playing pickleball between 2015 and 2023. Some findings from the study were:
- The mean age of the patient was 58 years old.
- 58 percent of patients were men.
- Roughly 80 percent of injuries were traumatic.
- Of the 198 patients examined in the study, 78 were diagnosed with an Achilles tendon rupture.
- The majority of injuries were Achilles tendon ruptures, gastroc (calf) injuries and Achilles tendinopathy injuries.
- The most common mechanisms of injury were running or lunging forward, or having a planted foot while pivoting.
Most patients were treated non-surgically with immobilization, physical therapy or RICE, while 57 patients underwent surgery, with the majority having an Achilles tendon rupture addressed.
Pickleball Study Takeaways
The massive spike in ankle and foot injuries during Pickleball is mostly associated to the significant increase in the amount of people who have taken up the sport. If the sport has grown five-fold in popularity, we should expect injuries to increase five-fold or more, especially if this sport is popular among an older subset. We’ve treated Pickleball players who suffered Achilles tendon tears, calf injuries and every type of ankle sprain, and we expect these trends will continue so long as the sport remains popular.
If you’re into Pickleball, make sure that you work to prevent some common sources of injury. Make sure that you are taking time to warm up and cool down before and after activity, wear the right equipment, make sure that your court is well-maintained, that you are playing in ideal conditions and consider partaking in some additional strength training and balance exercises so that you can more easily handle the physical demands of your sport.