Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 19, 2026
Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty
Published on: July 5, 2011
Examining the link between thoracic rotation and scapular dyskinesis and shoulder pain amongst college swimmers
A N Welbeck1, N R Amilo1, D T Le1
1Michael W. Krzyzewski Human Performance Laboratory, James R. Urbaniak Sports Sciences Institute Duke University Health System, USA.
Objectives:
In National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I swimmers, we examined the differences in thoracic spine rotation in swimmers with and without scapular dyskinesis and the relationship between thoracic spine rotation and shoulder pain/dysfunction according to the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic (KJOC) score.
Design:
Cross-sectional.
Setting:
Laboratory-based.
Participants:
34 NCAA Division I swimmers (13 males, 21 females).
Main Outcome Measures:
Self-reported upper extremity function and pain assessed with the KJOC questionnaire, thoracic spine range of motion, presence of scapular dyskinesis.
Results:
Dyskinesis was present in 15 of 34 (44%) subjects. Thoracic rotation averaged 136.7° and KJOC averaged 87.7 with no differences between swimmers with or without dyskinesis. We observed no correlation between KJOC-identified shoulder pain/dysfunction and thoracic rotation.
Conclusions:
In our cohort of NCAA Division 1 swimmers, no differences were found between swimmers with or without scapular dyskinesis and extent of thoracic rotation. We found no correlation between thoracic rotation and the amount of self-reported pain and dysfunction experienced in the upper extremity. The presence of scapular dyskinesis in nearly half of our subjects indicates that swimmers need to be assessed for this abnormality. If observed, rehabilitation should address the dyskinesis and improve thoracic rotation in an attempt to alleviate further upper extremity pain and dysfunction.
Related Concept Videos
10:10Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty
08:57Shoulder Exam I
Examination of the shoulder can be complex, because it actually consists of four separate joints: are the glenohumeral (GH) joint, the acromioclavicular (AC) joint, the sternoclavicular joint, and the scapulothoracic joint. The GH joint is primarily responsible for shoulder motion and is the most mobile joint in the body. It has been likened to a golf ball sitting on a tee and is prone to instability. It is held in place...
06:57Transaxillary First Rib Resection for Treatment of the Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
08:30Intra-articular Shoulder Injection for Reduction Following Shoulder Dislocation
The anterior shoulder dislocation is one of the most common joint dislocations seen in emergency settings. In anterior shoulder dislocation, the humeral head is displaced out of the glenohumeral joint in front of the scapular glenoid, resulting in a loss of the articulation between the arm and the rest of the shoulder. This can be caused by a fall onto an abducted, extended, and externally...
10:07Measurement of Dynamic Scapular Kinematics Using an Acromion Marker Cluster to Minimize Skin Movement Artifact
09:24A Rapidly Incremented Tethered-Swimming Maximal Protocol for Cardiorespiratory Assessment of Swimmers