Comparative Analysis of Anatomical and Pathological Glenohumeral Internal Rotation Deficit Among Volleyball Players: A Cross-Sectional Study.
Nimrah Afzal, Ishaq Ahmed, Saania K Khanzada and 3 others
PMID 40620406WHAT IT FOUND
89.4% of 170 volleyball players had shoulder internal rotation deficits.
Most had the pathological type linked to injury risk. Players with more experience and higher weekly practice hours, especially males and hitters, were significantly more likely to have this pathological deficit.
Key findings
01GIRD was present in 89.4% of participants, with pathological GIRD slightly more common than anatomical GIRD.
02Significant associations were found between GIRD classification and experience, weekly practice time, gender, and court position.
03Male athletes and hitters had a higher prevalence of pathological GIRD, while females showed more anatomical GIRD.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study only included professional and semi-professional athletes, so results may not apply to recreational players. Self-reported shoulder conditions may be inaccurate due to memory lapses or asymptomatic cases. No diagnostic imaging was used to verify shoulder conditions. Experience data only counted professional years, missing youth-level training history. Inter-rater reliability for measurements was not reported. Statistical tests for court position violated assumptions due to small sample sizes in some groups.
Declared interests
No funding sources or conflicts of interest are reported in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that a high prevalence of GIRD in this study means all volleyball players have an injury risk. The study excluded players with current pain or known injuries, and many participants had anatomical GIRD, which is considered a normal adaptation to overhead sports. The pathological deficit was only slightly more common than the anatomical type.