Pickleball is exploding in popularity. What started as a niche pastime has become America’s fastest-growing sport, with an 85% year-over-year increase. However, with this popularity comes a new wave of orthopedic injuries. For orthopedic practices, this trend isn’t just interesting. It’s a signal. A clear shift in patient demand is already underway, and the practices that act on it early will be the ones best positioned to serve this growing population.
Let’s examine the types of injuries highlighted in recent research and how orthopedic practices can position themselves on the front lines to manage these sports injuries as the movement continues to gain momentum.
Pickleball Is Booming, and So Are the Injuries
Over the past decade, pickleball-related injuries have risen nearly ninefold. Today, over 90% of these injuries occur in adults 50 and older; a demographic that often brings preexisting wear, slower recovery, and higher clinical risk.
According to recent data, medical costs tied to pickleball injuries now exceed $350 million annually. That includes over 366,000 medical visits per year, with more than 67,000 of those resulting in an emergency room visit.
The most common pickleball injuries include:
- Fractures from falls
- Achilles tendon ruptures
- Rotator cuff tears
- Wrist sprains and fractures
- Knee and ankle ligament injuries
These aren’t minor complaints. They often require surgical intervention, physical therapy, and long-term follow-up.
What This Means for Orthopedic Practices
This rise in sports injuries isn’t a short-term trend. It’s a sign of where musculoskeletal care is heading: older, more active adults engaging in new sports that strain their bodies in unfamiliar ways. For orthopedic clinics, hospitals, and healthcare systems, the implications are significant, as they experience increased demand in sports medicine, more needs for foot and ankle and hand specialists, and growing pressure on joint replacement teams managing high-impact reinjuries.
For practices already experiencing a rise in patient volume, now is the time to evaluate capacity, staffing, and recruitment strategies.
Aligning Recruitment with the Reality of Demand
At Paragon Orthopedic Search, we’re already working with practices looking to grow their capabilities in response to this trend. Whether it’s expanding a sports medicine team, hiring a dedicated foot and ankle specialist, or bringing on a physician assistant to support increasing surgical volume, our clients understand this shift isn’t theoretical.
This isn’t just about pickleball. It’s about a broader pattern of aging, where active patients take on new physical challenges and require faster, more specialized care.
Practices that wait will end up reacting—and fall behind. Practices that prepare will lead and become the top orthopedic firms specializing in this niche medical space.
What Your Orthopedic Practice Can Do Now
- Evaluate your current patient flow. Are you already seeing an increase in fall-related injuries or tendon repairs in adults over 50?
- Audit your provider coverage. Do you have adequate depth in sports medicine, upper extremity, or joint replacement?
- Plan for volume changes. As referral streams grow, can your team handle increased post-op follow-up, therapy coordination, and acute case management?
- Recruit before you’re behind. Building a pipeline now avoids last-minute scrambling. We can help you assess, plan, and execute a strategy that helps you build a team, not just fill a role.
FAQs: Pickleball and Orthopedic Practice Planning
Q: Why is pickleball causing so many injuries?
It combines quick lateral movement, sudden speed changes, and repetitive swings. These movements are a dangerous mix for aging joints, tendons, and reflexes. Many players jump in with minimal training, poor footwear, or inadequate warm-ups.
Q: What orthopedic specialties are most affected by this trend?
Sports medicine specialists, particularly those focusing on the upper extremity (especially the shoulder and elbow), foot and ankle, and joint replacement, are seeing increased patient volume due to pickleball-related injuries.
Q: How can practices prepare without overextending resources?
Start by reviewing current caseloads and identifying bottlenecks. Expand strategically by adding high-impact roles, such as advanced practice providers or targeted specialists, to meet demand without overbuilding.
Q: How can recruiting the right providers help with patient retention?
When patients feel seen, heard, and quickly treated by a knowledgeable team, retention increases. Recruiting for both clinical skill and patient rapport builds long-term loyalty.
Q: How does Paragon help practices respond to trends like this?
We specialize in orthopedic recruitment. We understand the market, subspecialties, and timing. We help practices align with current demand by hiring the right providers before a backlog builds.
Help Your Firm Rise to the Challenge with Paragon Orthopedic Search
The rise in pickleball injuries is more than a headline. It’s a call to action. Orthopedic practices across the country are already feeling the effects, and the demand isn’t slowing down.
Building the right team now means you’re not just catching up, you’re getting ahead.
At Paragon Orthopedic Search, we specialize in helping you find the right orthopedic recruit for your practice. We’ve dedicated our careers to helping you build strong, sustainable teams to meet emerging needs like these. If you’re ready to strengthen your orthopedic service line and recruit with strategy, contact us today.
