Padel an increasing cause of sport-related eye injuries in Sweden

Purpose The objective of this study was to determine the current Swedish epidemiology of sport-related eye injuries and to analyse the effect of the increased popularity of the racquet sport padel.Methods This was a retrospective, register-based, cohort study of medical records in the county of Jonkoping, Sweden. All individuals with a sports-related eye injury needing healthcare between January 2017 and December 2021 were included. For these individuals, data about background, consequences and treatment of the injuries were obtained.Results During the 5-year study period, 255 patients sought care for sports-related eye injuries at the ophthalmological clinics in Jonkoping County. Floorball caused the largest proportion of eye injuries (39%) followed by padel (20%) and football (15%). However, the proportion of injuries caused by padel increased during the study period to be the dominating cause in 2021. Compared to floorball, patients with eye injuries from padel were older and had female gender to a higher extent. The ball caused almost all injuries from padel; the majority occurred in the right eye. Most the eye injuries from padel were mild or moderate but 4% had severe consequences with an imminent risk of long-term complications.Conclusions In a short time period, padel has become the leading cause of sports-related eye injuries in Sweden. To reduce the number of eye injuries, protective eyewear could be recommended.