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Papandreou M.1, Diamantis E.2, Vrachlioti V.-I.2, Billis E.3, Georgoudis G.2
1Technological Education Institute of Athens, Physiotherapy, Athens, Greece, 2TEI of Athens, Physiotherapy, Athens, Greece, 3TEI of Western Greece, Physiotherapy, Patras, Greece
Background: A high incidence of shoulder pain has been reported among athletes performing repetitive overhead activities postulating several etiologic factors such as scapular position asymmetry (Oyama et al. 2008; Tate et al. 2008). However, asymmetry in the overhead athlete's scapula may be normal due to the dominant use of the limb. Clinicians who manage athletes with shoulder pain at risk of developing shoulder traumatic conditions need to have the skills to assess the scapular positioning. However, the majorities of clinical methods are expensive and need specialised equipments making their use in practice nearly impossible. At this point, clinicians could use reliable and easy to use methods for the evaluation of scapular positioning in overhead athletes with shoulder pain. The measurement of the acromion posterior border distance as scapular position evaluation displayed excellent intraobserver and interobserver reliability in patients with shoulder pain (Kluemper et al. 2006). This theory is based on the observation of scapular kinematics in patients with short pectoralis minor muscle length which potentially results in shoulder pain (Borstad et al. 2005).
Purpose: To quantify the differences in resting scapular positions between the dominant and non dominant sides in two groups of overhead athletes with shoulder pain using the sliding calliper device.
Methods: 20 athletes were recruited who involved in volleyball and swimming. There were 11 male and 9 female, their mean age was 25.4±8.09 years and BMI 22.68±1.63. Athletes assessed by grading chronic pain scale (GCRS), they classified in low intensity and disability chronic pain severity and had to be actively competing at least 5 years in spite of having traumatic shoulder injuries. Measurements of two static scapular positions between the two groups and between sides- dominant and non-dominant shoulders were based on previous reliable methods (Host 1995; Nijs et al. 2005; Kluemper et al. 2006). They were measured in two static scapular positions with sliding calliper device; in the first one was measured the distance between the posterior border of the acromion in supine position and the table (AT) and the second one the distance between the posterior border of the acromion in upright position and the wall (AW). Between-groups and between-sides differences in each variable were analyzed using separate analyses of variance.
Results: There were no statistically significant results between sides differences in each variable [dominant and non-dominant sides in supine and upright positions either in volleyball and or in swimmers athletes P>.05]. On the other hand, there were statistically significant results between sides differences in AT position in swimmer (17.27±3.90) compared with volleyball (9.63±5.95) athletes (F=11.8, S= .003, P.005).
Conclusion(s): These findings showed sides differences in AT evaluation scapula position in swimmers compared with volleyball athletes. We could emphasize to accurately assess the scapula position in overhead athletes having shoulder pain and injuries using the acromion posterior border distance as an outcome measure.
Implications: These findings could have implications for clinical researchers using side to side comparisons evaluating the scapula position from the distance of posterior acromion border in supine position and the table as an outcome measure in overhead athletes.
Funding acknowledgements: No funds
Topic: Sport & sports injuries
Ethics approval: Approved by TEI of Athens Research Ethics Committee, GR
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
