Epidemiology of Shoulder Injuries Presenting to US Emergency Departments

Shoulder injuries are a significant cause of musculoskeletal complaints in emergency departments (EDs), but data on these injuries in the United States are limited. This study analyzed shoulder injuries reported to US EDs from 2006 to 2016, focusing on trends in injury mechanisms, diagnoses, and demographics.

Data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database were used to analyze 6,689,422 shoulder injuries reported to US EDs during 11 years, examining injury rates, causes, diagnoses, and demographics.

An estimated 6,689,422 shoulder injuries were reported during the study period, accounting for 4.35% of all injuries reported to US EDs. The highest injury rate was observed in individuals 15 to 24 years (3.15 per 1000 US population), while children younger than 5 years had the lowest rate (0.97 per 1000). The most common causes of injury were sports and recreation (45.84%), home structure (20.79%), and home furniture (18.91%). The most frequent diagnoses included fractures (20.30%), contusions (18.23%), and dislocations (12.92%). More than one-third of the injuries (39.2%) occurred at home. Injury rates decreased for individuals younger than 25 years but increased for those 45 to 64 years during the study period. Younger individuals and males showed greater sport-related injuries, while older populations and females more commonly presented with home-related injuries.

This study revealed unique demographic patterns in the causes and mechanisms of shoulder injuries. These findings suggest that tailored prevention strategies could be particularly effective, helping to improve both injury prevention efforts and the clinical care of patients with shoulder injuries. [Orthopedics. 2025;48(2):e81-e87.].