COMPARISON OF GLENOHUMERAL JOINT ROTATION RANGE OF MOTION IN YOUNG ATHLETES

ABSTRACT Introduction: Overhead-throwing athletes undergo changes in shoulder range of motion (ROM) due to sports activities, such as excessive amplitude, lateral rotation (LR) increase and medial rotation (MR) restriction. Asymmetry greater than 20° may render athletes more prone to injuries. There are similarities among sports featuring overhead throwing due to the considerable amount of movements involving maximum lateral rotation. In these sports, medial rotation (MR) restriction, excess of lateral rotation (LR) and shoulder pain are common, particularly in overhead-throwing athletes. Objective: To assess shoulder MR and LR ROM in athletes participating in different sports, considering the influence of these variables on injuries and functional performance. Methods: The rotation ROM of the glenohumeral joint was assessed in 477 young athletes, who were categorized in three sports groups: swimming, overhead-throwing and non-overhead throwing, distributed by age group. Analyses of Variance (ANOVA) were performed to verify if there were differences in MR and LR between groups and paired Student t test was used to verify differences between sides (asymmetry). Results: Youngest athletes showed significant shorter LR than the oldest, in both sides. This study demonstrated that the right side has less MR and greater LR in all groups. Conclusion: The findings showed that overhead-throwing and swimming groups have similarities in shoulder rotation ROM. Level of evidence III; Diagnostic Studies - Investigating a Diagnostic Test.