Orthopedic Injuries in Professional Surfers: A Retrospective Study at a Single Orthopedic Center

Abstract

The most common orthopedic injuries in professional surfers involve the knee, ankle, shoulder, hip, and back. Surfers' rear extremities were preferentially injured which is the extremity responsible for power and torque. Shoulder injuries increased the probability of an operative intervention. Last, overuse injuries (femoral-acetabular impingement, rotator cuffs) occurred in the older surf population compared with more acute injuries (ankle sprains/fractures, anterior cruciate ligament tears) which is also consistent with time to surgery.