Positive clinical tests for medial epicondylalgia are more common than tests for lateral epicondylalgia in recreational pickleball players: A cross-sectional study

Background: Epicondylalgia is a common overuse injury in tennis. However, little is known regarding epicondylalgia in pickleball.

Purpose: This study examined the prevalence of positive epicondylalgia tests in recreational pickleball players and the relationship between positive tests and player characteristics.

Study design: Cross-sectional study.

Methods: Clinical tests for epicondylalgia were performed courtside on the dominant arm of 129 recreational pickleball players. Participants completed a survey with questions related to demographics and play characteristics. Descriptive data were reported for epicondylalgia testing and survey performance. Chi-squared analysis and Fisher's exact test were used to determine associations between testing and survey responses. Relative risk estimates for positive tests for epicondylalgia were calculated based on pickleball playing characteristics.

Results: The prevalence of positive tests was 7% for medial epicondylalgia, 5.4% for lateral epicondylalgia, and 2.3% for both medial epicondylalgia and lateral epicondylalgia. Ninety-two participants (71.3%) completed the survey. Those who participated in tournaments were less likely to have a positive test for medial epicondylalgia (Fisher's exact test, p = 0.017). The relative risk of having a positive epicondylalgia test was lower for those who have played for at least 4 years (medial = 0.875 [CI 0.81-0.95] and lateral 0.913 [CI 0.866-0.979]). Epicondylalgia testing was not associated with age, sex, hand dominance, level of play, location of play, warm-up performance, frequency of play, or length of play.

Conclusions: Among pickleball players, there was a lower prevalence of positive tests for lateral epicondylalgia than for medial epicondylalgia. Compared to tennis, lateral epicondylalgia may be less common due to a lower elbow torque, while medial epicondylalgia may be more common due to methods to impart spin. Given the differences among sports, clinicians may need to utilize different prevention and intervention strategies when working with pickleball players.