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Measurement of Dynamic Scapular Kinematics Using an Acromion Marker Cluster to Minimize Skin Movement Artifact
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How Does the Scapula Move during the Tennis Serve?
Isabelle Rogowski1, Thomas Creveaux, Violaine Sevrez
11Université de Lyon, Lyon, FRANCE; 2Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, FRANCE, 3Centre de Recherche et d'Innovation sur le Sport, Villeurbanne Cedex, FRANCE, and 4IFSTTAR, UMR-T9406, LBMC Laboratoire de Biomécanique et Mécanique des Chocs, Bron, FRANCE.
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|October 12, 2014
Summary
This study details scapulothoracic kinematics during a tennis serve. Understanding scapular motion is key for preventing and rehabilitating shoulder injuries in overhead athletes.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Biomechanics
- Human Movement Science
Background:
- The tennis serve is a complex overhead motion.
- Scapulothoracic kinematics are crucial for efficient and safe shoulder function during overhead activities.
- Understanding these movements can inform injury prevention and rehabilitation strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the three-dimensional scapulothoracic kinematics during the tennis serve in highly skilled male tennis players.
- To establish normative data for scapular motion during this athletic movement.
Main Methods:
- Utilized high-speed 3D motion capture with 15 markers on bony landmarks.
- Focused on thirteen competitive male tennis players performing flat first serves.
- Employed the acromial marker cluster method to determine scapular position.
Main Results:
- During cocking: scapula externally rotated and posteriorly tilted for maximal humeral external rotation.
- During acceleration: scapula upwardly rotated and anteriorly tilted to achieve maximal racket head height.
- During follow-through: scapula internally rotated, downwardly rotated, and posteriorly tilted as the arm lowered.
Conclusions:
- Provides novel insights into asymptomatic scapular motion during the tennis serve.
- Offers valuable information for clinicians and coaches regarding overhead sport mechanics.
- Aids in the prevention and rehabilitation of shoulder injuries in tennis players and other overhead athletes.
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