The Top Ten Sports That Cause The Most Injuries

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When it comes to physical activity, sports are a fantastic way to stay fit, develop skills, and enjoy the thrill of competition.

However, they also come with inherent risks.

From high-impact collisions in contact sports to the repetitive strains of endurance activities, athletes of all levels frequently face injuries that can lead to emergency room visits.

A new study by personal injury experts at John Foy & Associates has identified the top ten sports in the US that lead to hospital visits.

The study used official data from the Insurance Information Institute, which tracked the number of hospital admissions per sport for the duration of a year.

Check out the list in order below!

All data came from https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-sports-injuries which considered sports injuries that occurred during 2022, as per the National Safety Council (NSC).

1. Basketball

Basketball ranks first, with 313,924 people admitted to the hospital with basketball-related injuries. Common injuries include ankle sprains from sudden twists and turns and knee injuries such as ACL tears from abrupt changes in direction and jumps.

People aged 15-24 sustained the most basketball related injuries which led to a hospital visit, with 143,773 in total.

2. Football

Football places second on the list, with 265,747 people admitted to hospital due to football-related injuries.

Children aged 5–14 make up more than half of this number, with 145,499 being admitted to hospital; this is due in part to their developing physical skills, less experience, and higher participation rates in youth sports leagues.

Children in this age group are also more susceptible to fractures, sprains, and concussions due to their developing bones and muscles.

3. Swimming

Swimming ranks third, with 187,465 people admitted to hospital due to swimming-related injuries.

Swimming-related injuries can be highly varied, such as shoulder impingement from repetitive overhead strokes and swimmer’s ear, an infection caused by water trapped in the ear canal.

4. Soccer

Soccer places fourth on the list, with 179,284 hospital admissions due to injuries sustained while playing soccer.

Interestingly, 80,540 injuries were sustained by children aged 5–14, as opposed to 68,602 injuries by people aged 15–24.

This may be because a large proportion of those above the age of 15 may have been treated by club physios instead of going to the hospital.

5. Baseball & Softball

Baseball and Softball rank fifth, with 136,874 people admitted to the hospital with baseball and softball-related injuries.

Common injuries include rotator cuff tears from repetitive throwing motions and hamstring strains from sudden sprinting and sliding.

6. Trampolining

Placing sixth is Trampolining, with 130,014 hospital admissions due to trampoline-related injuries.

Most hospital admissions were for children younger than five and those aged 5-14, with 32,186 and 70,400 hospital admissions, respectively.

7. Skating

Skating (excluding in-line) ranks seventh, with 76,505 hospital admissions due to skating-related injuries.

Common skating-related injuries include wrist fractures from falls and ankle sprains from improper landings or sudden twists.

8. Lacrosse, Rugby, Other Miscellaneous Ball Games

Placing eighth are Lacrosse, Rugby & other miscellaneous ball games, with 66,882 hospital admissions relating to injuries sustained in these sports.

The most common age categories for injuries associated with the sports mentioned above are 5-14-year-olds and 15-24-year-olds, with 20,252 and 20,142 admissions, respectively.

9. Snow Skiing & Snowboarding

Ninth on the list are Skiing and Snowboarding with 66,633 hospital admissions due to injuries sustained while skiing or snowboarding.

A wide range of injuries can occur in this sport, but common occurrences include ACL tears from twisting falls and wrist fractures from trying to break falls with outstretched hands.

10. Golfing

Rounding off the top ten is Golf, with 60,897 hospital admissions due to injuries relating to golf.

The age group with the highest number of hospital admissions due to golfing injuries is the over-65s, with 23,815, the largest number of hospital visits across any sport for this demographic.