Shoulder injuries in the throwing athlete.

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Sports Medicine
• Rehabilitation Science

Background:

• Throwing athletes often experience shoulder injuries due to the failure of static and dynamic restraints and kinetic chain disruptions.
• Common shoulder pathologies include articular-sided partial rotator cuff tears and superior labral tears.

Purpose of the Study:

• To emphasize the primary role of physical therapy in managing shoulder injuries in throwing athletes.
• To outline the indications for operative intervention in this population.

Main Methods:

• Review of common shoulder pathologies in throwing athletes.
• Emphasis on the conservative management approach.
• Discussion of surgical indications and outcomes.

Main Results:

• Physical therapy and rehabilitation are the initial treatments of choice for most throwing athletes.
• Surgical intervention can be successful after failed conservative treatments.
• Stretching of the posteroinferior capsule effectively addresses glenohumeral internal rotation deficits.

Conclusions:

• Conservative management, particularly physical therapy, should be prioritized for throwing athletes' shoulder injuries.
• Surgical treatment is reserved for cases unresponsive to nonoperative care.
• Targeted stretching is a valuable component of rehabilitation for glenohumeral internal rotation deficits.