Orthopaedic Sports Injuries in an Aging Population: Current Trends and Future Projections

BackgroundThe elderly US population is growing quickly and staying active longer. However, there is limited information on sports-related injuries in older adults.Hypotheses(1) National estimate and incidence of sports-related orthopaedic injuries in the US elderly population have increased over the last 10 years, (2) types and causes of sports-related injuries in the elderly have changed, and (3) elderly sports-related injuries will increase more than the number of treating physicians by 2040.Study DesignDescriptive epidemiology study.Level of EvidenceLevel 4.Methods:The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database was used to identify all patients aged ≥65 years with sports-related orthopaedic injuries in US emergency departments from 2012 to 2021. Surgeon and physician estimates were calculated using the Physician Compare database. Population data were obtained from US Census estimates and used to calculate annual incidence rates of injuries and to project total injuries through 2040. Injury characteristics were analyzed using Wilcoxon Rank-Sum tests and Chi-square or Fisher exact tests.ResultsAn estimated 444,078 sports-related orthopaedic injuries occurred in the elderly from 2012 to 2021. There were significant increases in injuries (from 32,573 in 2012 to 50,909 in 2021; P < 0.01) and in the national incidence of injuries (from 78 per 100,000 in 2012 to 91 per 100,000 in 2021; P = 0.01). The number of sports-related injuries in the elderly is projected to reach 111,245 by 2040, an increase of 119% from 2021. The number of orthopaedic surgeons and sports medicine physicians is projected to increase by only 19.7% over the same timeperiod.Conclusion:Sports-related orthopaedic injuries in the elderly are increasing in both number and incidence.Clinical RelevanceOrthopaedic surgeons and other practitioners should be prepared to treat an increasing number of active elderly patients.