[Eye injuries related to padel]

Padel is a fast-growing racket sport in Sweden. There have been an increasing number of reports of eye injuries related to padel practice. We describe three cases during 2020 of blunt eye trauma inflicted by the padel ball causing intraocular lesions to the anterior and posterior segment of the eye. All cases needed surgical treatment of retinal tears and retinal detachment. In one case cataract surgery and pars plana vitrectomy were also performed. If the increasing number of eye injuries related to padel is only due to the raising popularity of the sport, or if padel also can be considered a high-risk sport for eye injuries, cannot yet be determined. However, some circumstances in padel sport may indicate an increased risk e.g., the size and velocity of the ball, the risk of unpredictable rebounds of the ball and the relatively close distance between the players. The most effective method of reducing the number of eye injuries is the use of protective eyewear.