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Rotator Cuff Injuries in Tennis Players
Rami G Alrabaa1, Mario H Lobao2, William N Levine2
1Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Columbia University Medical Center, 622 W 168th Street, PH-11, New York, NY, 10032, USA. ra2830@cumc.columbia.edu.
Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine
|August 23, 2020
Summary
Rotator cuff injuries are common in tennis players, often caused by overuse during serves. While conservative treatment is preferred, surgical outcomes for elite athletes have modest return-to-sport rates, with debridement often favored over repair for partial tears.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedics
- Sports Medicine
- Biomechanics
Background:
- Rotator cuff injuries are prevalent in tennis players, stemming from repetitive overhead motions.
- These injuries range from partial-thickness tears to full-thickness tears, with the serve being a high-risk activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the epidemiology, etiology, management, and surgical outcomes of rotator cuff injuries specifically in tennis players.
Main Methods:
- This review synthesizes existing literature on rotator cuff injuries in tennis.
- It examines injury patterns, causative factors, non-operative and operative management strategies, and return-to-sport rates.
Main Results:
- Most rotator cuff injuries in tennis players are partial-thickness, articular-sided tears, progressing to full-thickness tears in older athletes.
- The serve motion significantly increases the risk of overuse injuries and rotator cuff tears.
- Conservative management is the first-line treatment, with surgery reserved for persistent cases, but return-to-sport rates after repair are suboptimal in elite players.
Conclusions:
- Rotator cuff injuries in tennis players are multifactorial, often resulting from microtrauma and internal impingement.
- Non-operative management is the initial approach, with surgical interventions like debridement potentially offering better outcomes than repair for partial tears in younger athletes regarding return to play.
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