24 Jul Hockey Eye Injuries Rising in the U.S. — UCSD Study Finds 12% Are Vision-Threatening
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Don Kikkawa
Don Kikkawa, MD
Distinguished Professor,
UC San Diego Viterby Family Department of Ophthalmology
Chief, Division of Oculofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Vice-Chairman, Department of Ophthalmology
UCSD
Dr. Leo Miller
Leo Meller, MD
UC San Diego School of Medicine, Class of 2026
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Dr. Kikkawa and Dr. Meller: Hockey can put players at risk for eye injuries because of high-speed pucks, sticks, and close-contact play. While many sports-related eye injuries are preventable, there has been limited national data on the frequency and severity of hockey-related eye injuries across different types of hockey. Our research used 20 years of U.S. emergency department data to better understand these injuries. Similar work examining recreational sport eye injury trends — including our related research covered previously on MedicalResearch.com on serious and preventable eye injuries treated in emergency settings — underscores why population-level surveillance data matters for guiding prevention efforts.
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?
Dr. Kikkawa and Dr. Meller: We estimated that about 6,500 hockey-related eye injuries were treated in U.S. emergency departments over the past 20 years. While most injuries were relatively minor, about 12% were serious enough to threaten vision, and injuries appeared to increase during the most recent five years of the study.
MedicalResearch.com: Do helmets help reduce these injuries?
Dr. Kikkawa and Dr. Meller: This study did not directly evaluate whether helmets reduce eye injuries. However, we note that previous research has shown that face shields and visors can substantially reduce eye and orbital injuries, and we concluded that consistent use of appropriate protective eyewear could help prevent many of these injuries.
MedicalResearch.com: Are younger players more or less likely to incur an ocular injury?
Dr. Kikkawa and Dr. Meller: Younger players accounted for the majority of injuries: 69% of injured patients were younger than 18. However, we could not determine whether younger players are more likely to be injured because we did not have data on the total number of hockey players in each age group. Among those who were injured, younger players were more likely to have minor injuries to the front of the eye, while more serious injuries to the back of the eye occurred mainly among adults.
MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?
Dr. Kikkawa and Dr. Meller: Hockey-related eye injuries are relatively uncommon but can be serious and, in some cases, threaten vision. The findings underscore the importance of consistently using appropriate protective eyewear and educating players, coaches, and families about the potential risks of eye injuries.
Disclosures: Co-authors Weinreb reported research support, consulting fees, board memberships, licensed patents, research instruments, and being a cofounder of Toromedes. Liu reported serving as a principal investigator on industry-sponsored clinical trials and receiving royalties from Wolters Kluwer Health. Korn reported consulting or advisory roles and royalties from Elsevier, and Kikkawa reported consulting fees and royalties from Elsevier. No other disclosures were reported.
Citation:
Meller LLT, Chau D, Shoji MK, et al. Trends in Hockey-Related Ocular Trauma. JAMA Ophthalmol. Published online July 23, 2026. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2026.2676
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Last Updated on July 24, 2026 by Marie Benz MD FAAD