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Intraarticular Abnormalities in Overhead Athletes Are Variable

  • Symposium: Injuries in Overhead Athletes
  • Published:
Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research®

Abstract

Background

The cause of shoulder pain and dysfunction in the overhead athlete can be variable. Several studies illustrate the wide variety of lesions seen at the time of arthroscopy in overhead athletes who require surgery but it is unclear whether these differ by sport.

Questions/purposes

We examined overhead athletes with shoulder dysfunction to determine (1) the range of arthroscopically visualized shoulder abnormalities with specific attention to the posterosuperior glenohumeral joint and the rotator cuff; and (2) the relationship of sport type to these abnormalities.

Methods

We reviewed our institution’s database for professional and collegiate athletes in overhead sports who, from 1996 through 2010, had diagnostic shoulder arthroscopy for insidious, nontraumatic, persistent pain and inability to participate in their sport. A descriptive analysis of the arthroscopic findings from 51 consecutive patients (33 males, 18 females; mean age, 25 years; range, 15–59 years) was done. We analyzed the arthroscopic findings with respect to sport using analysis of variance and Fisher’s exact test.

Results

There was a wide range of superior labrum, posterosuperior glenoid, and rotator cuff abnormalities. Overall, the most frequent abnormalities were posterosuperior glenohumeral joint changes. Swimmers had fewer intraarticular abnormalities than baseball players.

Conclusions

We found a wide spectrum of intraarticular abnormalities in the shoulder of overhead athletes with shoulder pain requiring surgery. Additional study is needed to determine whether these abnormalities or combinations relate to specific athletic movements.

Level of Evidence

Level IV, retrospective case series. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Richard L. Skolasky, ScD, for his assistance with the statistical analysis for this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Shoulder Surgery and the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, The Johns Hopkins University, 4940 Eastern Avenue, #A665, Baltimore, MD, 21224-2780, USA

    Ashvin K. Dewan MD, Juan Garzon-Muvdi MD, Steve A. Petersen MD, Xiaofeng Jia MD, PhD & Edward G. McFarland MD

Authors
  1. Ashvin K. Dewan MD
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  2. Juan Garzon-Muvdi MD
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  3. Steve A. Petersen MD
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  4. Xiaofeng Jia MD, PhD
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  5. Edward G. McFarland MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Edward G. McFarland MD.

Additional information

Each author certifies that he has no commercial associations (eg, consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article.

All ICMJE Conflict of Interest Forms for authors and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research editors and board members are on file with the publication and can be viewed on request.

Each author certifies that his or her institution has approved the human protocol for this investigation and that all investigations were conducted in conformity with ethical principles of research.

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Dewan, A.K., Garzon-Muvdi, J., Petersen, S.A. et al. Intraarticular Abnormalities in Overhead Athletes Are Variable. Clin Orthop Relat Res 470, 1552–1557 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-011-2183-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-011-2183-5

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