Is There a Decrease in the Acromiohumeral Distance Among Recreational Overhead Athletes With Rotator Cuff-Related...

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Orthopedics
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Overhead athletes face high shoulder loads, increasing injury risk.
• Reduced acromiohumeral distance (AHD) is linked to shoulder pain in the general population.
• The AHD in symptomatic vs. asymptomatic shoulders of athletes remains uncompared.

Purpose of the Study:

• Compare AHD in symptomatic vs. asymptomatic shoulders at rest and 60° abduction.
• Investigate the relationship between AHD, pain, and function in athletes with rotator cuff-related shoulder pain (RCRSP).

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving 45 recreational athletes with RCRSP.
• Acromiohumeral distance (AHD) measured via ultrasonography at 0° and 60° abduction.
• Pain assessed by numeric scale; function by Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) questionnaire.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in AHD between symptomatic and asymptomatic shoulders at 0° or 60° abduction.
• AHD significantly decreased at 60° abduction compared to 0° (P < .001).
• AHD showed no correlation with pain or functional limitations (P > .167).

Conclusions:

• Symptomatic shoulders in recreational athletes do not exhibit reduced AHD compared to asymptomatic shoulders.
• AHD reduction is not associated with increased pain or functional limitations in this athlete population.