Shoulder pain in adolescent athletes: prevalence, associated factors and its influence on upper limb function.
Valéria M A de Oliveira, Ana C R Pitangui, Mayra R A Gomes and 3 others
PMID 28460708WHAT IT FOUND
Shoulder pain was common among adolescent athletes, especially older teenagers and judo or handball players.
Athletes with pain reported worse upper limb function and had greater internal rotation deficits and lower right external rotation.
Key findings
01Current shoulder pain was reported by 43.5% of adolescent athletes, and pain in the last year by 54.2%; judo and handball had the most frequent complaints.
02Adolescents aged 15 to 19 were 1.86 times more likely to report shoulder pain, and judo and handball were also associated with shoulder pain.
03Athletes with shoulder pain had higher Quick-DASH dysfunction scores (11.40 versus 4.50 without pain), greater internal rotation deficits (10 versus 7), and lower right external rotation (120.11 versus 124.50).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot show that sport caused pain or that pain caused poorer function. It only estimated likelihood of occurrence, not cause. The sample was representative only for the body areas and sports evaluated, so results may not apply to other sports or groups. Medication use was not controlled, which could affect shoulder range of motion and stability test results.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these associations as proof that judo or handball causes shoulder pain, or that shoulder pain causes worse upper-limb function. The study was cross-sectional, so it only shows that these features occurred together.