Nerve Injuries in Athletes

In brief: Nerve injuries in athletes may be serious and may delay or prevent an athlete's return to his or her sport. Over a two-year period, the authors evaluated the condition of 65 patients who had entrapments of a nerve or nerve root, documented with electromyography. They describe four case histories: Two patients had radial nerve entrapments, one caused by baseball pitching and the other by kayaking; one football player had combined suprascapular neuropathy and upper trunk brachial plexopathy; and one patient had carpal tunnel syndrome of a median nerve secondary to rowing. Sports-related peripheral nerve lesions of the lower extremity were not seen during the study period. Based on a literature review, the nerve injuries discussed represent the spectrum of nerve entrapments likely to be seen in US clinics. The authors conclude that peripheral nerve lesions should be considered in the differential diagnosis of sports injuries, particularly at the shoulder, elbow, and wrist.