Arteriopathy in the high-performance athlete

Pain occurs frequently in high-performance athletes and is most often due to musculoskeletal injury or strain. However, athletes who participate in sports that require highly frequent, repetitive limb motion can also experience pain from an underlying arteriopathy, which causes exercise-induced ischemia. We reviewed the clinical records and follow-up care of 3 high-performance athletes (mean age, 29.3 yr; range, 16-47 yr) who were admitted consecutively to our institution from January 2002 through May 2003, each with a diagnosis of limb ischemia due to arteriopathy. The study group comprised 3 males: 2 active in competitive baseball (ages, 16 and 19 yr) and a cyclist (age, 47 yr). Provocative testing and radiologic evaluation established the diagnoses. Treatment goals included targeted resection of compressive structures, arterial reconstruction to eliminate stenosis and possible emboli, and improvement of distal perfusion. Our successful reconstructive techniques included thoracic outlet decompression and interpositional bypass of the subclavian artery in the 16-year-old patient, pectoralis muscle and tendon decompression to relieve compression of the axillary artery in the 19-year-old, and patch angioplasty for endofibrosis affecting the external iliac artery in the 47-year-old. Each patient was asymptomatic on follow-up and had resumed participation in competitive athletics. The recognition and anatomic definition of an arteriopathy that produces exercise-induced ischemia enables the application of precise therapy that can produce a symptom-free outcome and the ability to resume competitive athletics.