Evaluation of glenohumeral joint range of motion, scapular dyskinesis and shoulder proprioception in elite tennis players

Introduction: As the overhead athletes? shoulder joints are exposed to high microtraumaticstresses, some physical alterations appear in their dominant shoulders when compared with thenon-dominants. It?s required to determine adaptations in the healthy throwing shoulder to definethe shoulder in the injury risk and, develop preventative and rehabilitative strategies for theoverhead athletes.Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the rotational range of motion, the jointposition sense in the rotational movements, scapular dyskinesis and the tension of posteriorcapsule and, compare the dominant and non-dominant shoulders of elite tennis players.Method: In January- March 2006, in tennis clubs around zmir, 7 women and 15 men (meanage 21.0±9.5 years) elite tennis players, playing tennis without any intervals at least for 5 years ,were participated in the study.The sociodemografic data, shoulder pain symptom in last 2 years, the glenohumeral joint rangeof motion, the joint position sense in the rotational movements, scapular dyskinesis and thetension of posterior capsule were evaluated. Statistical analysis was made with SPSS 11.0Windows.Results: When the dominant and non-dominant shoulders of elite tennis players were compared,related to glenohumeral joint rotational range of motion, means of Internal Rotation (IR) andtotal rotation were less in the dominant shoulders (p<0.05). The error scores in themeasurements at %90 of ER were found greater in the dominant sides (p<0.05). In the results ofScapular Dyskinesis Test (SDT), there were significant difference between the shoulders, asdetermining more scapular dyskinesis in the dominant sides (p<0.05). In the Lateral ScapularSlide Test (LSST) results, a significant difference was established between shoulders in 2positions (p<0.05). Besides, in 11 cases, at least at one test position, a difference was foundbetween the shoulders for at least 1,5 cm. The tension of the posterior capsule was determined tobe greater in the dominant shoulders (p<0.05). Between the parameters evaluated, no significantdifference was found referring to sex, years of playing tennis and shoulder pain symptom in last2 years, however, in the measurement differences of LSST in one position, and also in the errorscores of measurements at %90 of ER, there were significant differences between the shouldersof cases 18-year-old and under, and, 19- year-old and over.Conclusion: When the dominant and non-dominant shoulders of elite tennis players arecompared, some adaptational alterations are seen in the dominant sides, in the glenohumeraljoint IR and total rotation range of motion, in the joint position sense at %90 of ER, in tension ofposterior capsule and in scapular position and movement.Key Words: Shoulder, tennis players, glenohumeral joint range of motion, proprioception,scapular dyskinesis