Biomechanical Considerations in the Competitive Swimmer's Shoulder

Overview

Journal Sports Health

Publisher Sage Publications

Specialty Orthopedics

Date 2012 Sep 28

PMID 23015983

Citations 23

Authors

Scott A Heinlein

Andrew J Cosgarea

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Context: Competitive swimming has become an increasingly popular sport in the United States. In 2007, more than 250 000 competitive swimmers were registered with USA Swimming, the national governing body. The average competitive swimmer swims approximately 60 000 to 80 000 m per week. With a typical count of 8 to 10 strokes per 25-m lap, each shoulder performs 30 000 rotations each week. This places tremendous stress on the shoulder girdle musculature and glenohumeral joint, and it is why shoulder pain is the most frequent musculoskeletal complaint among competitive swimmers.

Evidence Acquisition: Articles were obtained through a variety of medical search sources, including Medline, Google Scholar, and review articles from 1980 through January 2010.

Results: The most common cause of shoulder pain in swimmers is supraspinatus tendinopathy. Glenohumeral instability and labral tears have also been reported, but a paucity of information remains regarding prevalence and treatment in swimmers.

Conclusion: Because of the great number of stroke repetitions and force generated through the upper extremity, the shoulder is uniquely vulnerable to injury in the competitive swimmer. Comprehensive evaluation should include the entire kinetic chain, including trunk strength and core stability.

Citing Articles

Alterations to the Kinetic Chain Sequence After a Shoulder Injury in Throwing Athletes.

Owens L, Coyles G, Khaiyat O Orthop J Sports Med. 2024; 12(11):23259671241288889.

PMID: 39555323 PMC: 11565691. DOI: 10.1177/23259671241288889.

Does Swimming Exercise Impair Bone Health? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Comparing the Evidence in Humans and Rodent Models.

Freitas L, Bezerra A, Boppre G, Amorim T, Fernandes R, Fonseca H Sports Med. 2024; 54(9):2373-2394.

PMID: 38900358 DOI: 10.1007/s40279-024-02052-x.

Exploring the interplay of trunk and shoulder rotation strength: a cross-sport analysis.

Hank M, Miratsky P, Ford K, Clarup C, Imal O, Verbruggen F Front Physiol. 2024; 15:1371134.

PMID: 38737828 PMC: 11082744. DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2024.1371134.

Are Dryland Strength and Power Measurements Associated with Swimming Performance? Preliminary Results on Elite Paralympic Swimmers.

Cavaggioni L, Scurati R, Tosin M, Vernole R, Bonfanti L, Trecroci A Sports (Basel). 2024; 12(4).

PMID: 38668562 PMC: 11054501. DOI: 10.3390/sports12040094.

Validation of Automatically Quantified Swim Stroke Mechanics Using an Inertial Measurement Unit in Paralympic Athletes.

Slopecki M, Charbonneau M, Lavalliere J, Cote J, Clement J Bioengineering (Basel). 2024; 11(1).

PMID: 38247892 PMC: 10813451. DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering11010015.

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