Peripheral nerve injuries of the shoulder in the athlete

Athletic injuries about the shoulder resulting in lesions of the suprascapular, axillary, long thoracic, musculocutaneous, and spinal accessory nerves are uncommon. Yet these lesions are well described in the literature, and they may occur as isolated injuries. Rarely do they occur following surgical procedures about the shoulder of the athlete. Furthermore, these injuries may mimic other more commonly occurring athletic injuries thus giving rise to diagnostic confusion. The clinical syndromes that result from these isolated lesions have been discussed, along with their mechanisms of injury. Increased awareness, careful physical examination, and EMGs may greatly simplify the diagnosis. The treatment and prognosis for these injuries has been outlined.