Influence of posterior capsular tightness on throwing shoulder injury

The role of posterior capsular tightness in throwing shoulder injury has not yet been clarified. Accordingly, the influence of posterior capsular tightness on the occurrence of throwing shoulder injury was investigated.

Sixty-one shoulders with throwing injury were retrospectively reviewed, including 50 tight shoulders and 11 non-tight shoulders. Occurrence of long head of biceps (LHB) lesions, superior glenohumeral ligament (SGHL) and middle glenohumeral ligament (MGHL) injuries, type 2 SLAP lesions, and supraspinatus and subscapularis tendon injuries was compared between the tight and non-tight groups.

There were LHB lesions in 8 tight shoulders and 6 non-tight shoulders, SGHL injury in 14 and 8 shoulders, and subscapularis tendon injury in 6 and 5 shoulders, respectively, showing significant differences between tight and non-tight shoulders. In contrast, MGHL injury, type 2 SLAP lesions, and supraspinatus tendon injury showed no significant differences. The SLAP lesion was located anteriorly in 6 tight shoulders, posteriorly in 5, and combined in 4 versus 0, 3, and 0 for the non-tight shoulders, respectively, so anterior SLAP lesions only occurred in tight shoulders. Similarly, anterior supraspinatus tendon injuries had a higher incidence in tight shoulders than in non-tight shoulders (19 vs 3).

Rotator interval lesions were frequent in non-tight shoulders, while anterior SLAP lesions and anterior supraspinatus tendon injuries were predominant in tight shoulders. The significance of posterior capsular tightness should be reconsidered.

Retrospective, Level IV.