[Chronic neuropathy of the suprascapular nerve in high performance athletes]

The clinical and electrophysiological examination of 36 top-level volleyball players showed a suprascapular neuropathy in 28% of the subjects. The most commonly observed clinical symptom was a focal severe atrophy of the m. infraspinatus, combined with loss of strength of the arm in abduction and external rotation. In contrast to previous reports on suprascapular neuropathies in volleyball players, the present investigation demonstrates an additional milder affection also of the nerve fibres supplying the m. supraspinatus.