Padel related injuries: prevalence and characteristics in chilean amateur players – a cross sectional analytic study

Abstract

Background: Padel is a rapidly growing racket sport worldwide. As its popularity increases, there is a need to better understand padel-related injuries. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and characteristics of injuries in amateur padel players. Methods: A Cross-sectional analytical study was conducted in padel players in southern Chile, aged 18 years or older who competed in amateur padel leagues. Data were collected through an online self-report survey between August 2023 and December 2023. Socio-demographic characteristics and padel-related injuries in the previous six months were requested. Results: A sample of 364 amateurs padel players (age 37.4 ± 9.2 years, 63% male) was included. A padel-related injury occurred in 196 participants (53.8%) in the previous six months. No significant differences in injury prevalence were found when comparing by sex (female 53.7%, n = 73 vs male 53.9%, n = 123), age (under 36 years 53.2%, n = 99 vs 36 years or older 54.5%, n = 97) and competitive level (beginner 53.1%, n = 43 vs intermediate 53.8%, n = 107 vs advanced 54.8, n = 46). The ankle–foot region was the most commonly injured anatomical region followed by the elbow-forearm and shoulder-upper arm, and most injuries occurred in tendons and muscles. Serious injuries (i.e., absence > 4 weeks) occurred most frequently in advanced players. Participants over 36 years were more likely to be injured in training than competition. Significant differences existed between gradual and sudden onset of injury for elbow-forearm (85.7% gradual onset), wrist-hand (81.8% for gradual onset) and ankle–foot (64.7% sudden onset). Regarding injured tissue, gradual injury onset was significantly higher in tendons (77.1%), while sudden onset was more common in ligaments (70%). No significant differences existed for sociodemographic and padel variables when compared by the presence or absence of injury. Conclusions: The prevalence of padel-related injuries was high and injury prevalence according to sex, age and competitive level was similar between groups.