Shooting Sports and Archery

Literature on injuries that athletes incur during shooting sports and archery remains sparse. Nonetheless, focus on athlete wellness and injury prevention is critical, especially as shooting sport participation continues to rise. Both shooting sports and archery events have been held regularly at the Olympic and Paralympic levels. In this chapter, we will focus on three main shooting disciplines as well as archery. The most commonly sustained orthopedic injuries during shooting sports involve the shoulder, hand, and wrist, with a minority of injuries involving the lower back and lower extremity. Shoulder injuries are by far the most common. We will also discuss penetrating trauma and other injuries. Although the disciplines are non-contact, shooting sport athletes require intense concentration and often engage in rapid-fire movements, rendering them susceptible to distinctive injury patterns. In addition, athletes are required to maintain this intense concentration in isolated positions for long periods of time. Injury prevention primarily consists of pre-participation education, flexibility, and stretching programs, and adequate rest between participation. The purpose of this chapter is to outline the unique mechanics and injury risk factors associated with shooting sports, discuss the most commonly sustained orthopedic injury patterns within the sports including their epidemiology, and offer injury-specific prevention strategies.