Rehabilitation After Surgical Treatment of Pectoralis Major Rupture in a CrossFit® Practitioner: A Case Report.
Lucas Gomes da Silva, Rafael Marques Ferrer, José Roberto de Souza and 2 others
PMID 35693859WHAT IT FOUND
One CrossFit athlete returned to all sport activities without deficits 16 weeks after pectoralis major repair.
The protocol used early passive motion and weekly progressive loading. This describes what happened to one person, not a proven treatment.
Key findings
01The patient returned to all CrossFit activities, including the injury mechanism, without range of motion or strength deficits after 16 weeks.
02Shoulder range of motion normalized by week seven, with full extension and rotation by week six.
03Muscle strength asymmetry observed at week seven resolved by week fourteen, showing relative symmetry in key movements.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
This is a single case report, so the outcomes cannot be generalized to other patients. The rehabilitation progression was based on the therapist's clinical impression and experience with CrossFit, not a standardized protocol, making it difficult to replicate exactly. The patient had no history of anabolic steroid use and had been training for five years, which may influence healing and adherence compared to other populations. Long-term outcomes beyond 16 weeks were not reported.
Declared interests
No specific funding sources or conflicts of interest were declared in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret this as evidence that a 16-week protocol guarantees return to sport for all pectoralis major repairs. This is a single case of a motivated, experienced athlete, and the progression relied heavily on therapist judgment and patient adherence, which may not be present in other patients.