The Orthopaedic Surgeon's Guide to Surfing Injuries.

Popkin, Charles A; Obana, Kyle K; Levine, William N; Ahmad, Christopher S · J Am Acad Orthop Surg · 2025

review · Level V

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Abstract

Since popularized by Native Hawaiian Olympian, Duke Kahanamoku, in the early 20th century, surfing has grown into a globally popular sport. Because the prevalence of surfing continues to grow, physicians should be familiar with traumatic and atraumatic surfing injuries to guide treatment and prevention. The unique biomechanics of paddling prone on the surfboard and maneuvering the surfboard with the lower extremities make the injury profile for surfers different than that of other aquatic or overhead sports. This review provides a comprehensive guide on surfing biomechanics, orthopaedic injury profiles, injury prevention, return to surfing, and the future direction of orthopaedic-related surfing research.

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