Shoulder injuries among Dutch sports players hit record 530,000
Sports injuries to the shoulder rose 23% in 2025 to the highest number on record, the injury-prevention centre VeiligheidNL reports in its annual report, as people in the Netherlands spend more hours on sport.
Sports participants in the Netherlands suffered about 530,000 shoulder injuries in 2025, 23% more than in 2024 and the highest number ever recorded. The figure comes from the annual report of VeiligheidNL, the Dutch knowledge centre on injury prevention.
Across all sports, 4.7 million people in the Netherlands sustained 5.7 million injuries in 2025. More than half of those injuries needed medical treatment. VeiligheidNL says Dutch people have spent more hours on sport in recent years.
The knee is the most common site of sports injuries, ahead of the ankle and shoulder
% of sports injuries
The knee is the most common site of sports injuries, ahead of the ankle and shoulder (% of sports injuries). Highest: Knee, 20; lowest: Shoulder, 9; 3 items. Source: VeiligheidNL.
View data
| Item | % of sports injuries |
|---|---|
| Knee | 20 |
| Ankle | 11 |
| Shoulder | 9 |
Sports that load the shoulders hard show up clearly in the report. Shoulder injuries make up 23% of fitness injuries and 17% of injuries in tennis and padel, VeiligheidNL's figures show.
Femke Claessen, a sports doctor at Erasmus MC and for the tennis and padel federation, said these sports are accessible and hugely popular.
You pick up a racket and can start straight away. But that does not mean your shoulders are ready for this strain.Femke Claessen, sports doctor at Erasmus MC and the tennis and padel federation
Preventing injuries lets people keep enjoying sport, VeiligheidNL says. "It is important to take account of what the body can handle," the centre says. "By building up the load gradually and avoiding sudden big changes, sports participants can reduce the risk of injury."
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