Authors
Adrián Escudero-Tena, Ana Isabel Fernandez-de-Osso, Sergio J Ibáñez Godoy, Rafael Conde-Ripoll
Published in
Journal of sports sciences. Pages 1-13. Aug 02, 2026. Epub Aug 02, 2026.
Abstract
This study aimed to: 1. determine the incidence and prevalence of upper-body injuries in women padel players by playing level and side of play; 2. analyse injury type and location; 3. examine injuries in relation to racquet characteristics; 4. develop a predictive model; and 5. assess factors associated with injury. A survey among 80 top-100 professionals and 147 amateurs recorded injuries from the previous year and racquet specifications. Amateurs showed higher injury incidence than professionals (2.69 vs. 0.67 per 1,000 h), but prevalence was greater in professionals (61.1% vs. 40.1%, ASR = 3.2). Tendinous injuries were most frequent (44.1-48.3%), mainly affecting elbow and shoulder. Amateurs preferred round, lighter racquets (≤350 g) with two overgrips, while professionals used medium-weight racquets (351-370 g) without overgrips. Logistic regression identified racquet shape as the only significant predictor (OR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.01-2.04, p = 0.046). The decision tree revealed the hierarchical influence of age, racquet weight, overgrips, and training volume, confirming the multifactorial nature of injury occurrence. Exploratory analysis indicated greater injury likelihood in professionals (RR = 1.52) and users of round-shaped racquets. Findings offer actionable insights for injury prevention through equipment choice and load management.
PMID:
42543029
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 03 Aug 2026.
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