Injuries Associated with Recreational and Sport Angling: A Case Series of Mechanisms, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Rehabilitation.

Background

Angling-related injuries include acute trauma and chronic overuse conditions, but detailed clinical descriptions of different injury mechanisms remain limited. This retrospective case series presents four clinically distinct injuries associated with recreational and sport angling.

Methods

Four purposively selected patients were recruited between 6 November 2025 and 30 April 2026 through questionnaires, angling forums, events, and regional angling associations. All provided written informed consent and sufficient medical documentation. Clinical data were obtained from participant-provided medical documentation, imaging reports, and interviews, with follow-up varying according to the clinical course.

Results

Cases included high-velocity open-globe ocular trauma, a penetrating palmar injury caused by a baiting needle, a penetrating finger injury caused by a large barbed double hook, and rotator-cuff tendinopathy with lateral epicondylitis in the context of high angling exposure. Management included surgery, antimicrobial treatment, rehabilitation, and load modification. Outcomes ranged from substantial visual recovery to persistent scar-related hand limitation and improvement in overuse symptoms.

Conclusions

These cases illustrate projectile, penetrating, and repetitive-load injury mechanisms associated with angling and support clinical awareness, careful assessment of equipment-related trauma, and activity modification and rehabilitation in overuse conditions. Preventive measures discussed should be regarded as clinical considerations and hypotheses for further study rather than interventions of established effectiveness.