Breaking the operator variability in Kibler's scapular dyskinesis assessment

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Biomechanics
• Sports Medicine

Background:

• Scapular dyskinesis (SD) is a nonspecific indicator of shoulder pathology.
• Kibler's classification of SD has limited sensitivity.
• 3D motion analysis can identify specific SD patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify specific scapular kinematic patterns for each type of Kibler's (K) scapular dyskinesis.
• To overcome the limitations of Kibler's classification sensitivity.
• To validate the use of a 3D motion analysis system for SD classification.

Main Methods:

• Analyzed 68 shoulders from 34 patients with shoulder pain.
• Utilized the SHoW Motion 3D kinematic tracking system (SM).
• Classified SD into K types I, II, and III based on concordant observations from three independent experts.

Main Results:

• Identified distinct SM patterns for K types I, II, and III SD.
• K type 1: decreased posterior tilt, increased protraction.
• K type 2: increased protraction, reversed lateral rotation.
• K type 3 subdivided: 3-A (rotator cuff lesions) showed increased movements; 3-B (stiffness/impingement) showed slight increases in specific movements.

Conclusions:

• The SM system provides reproducible dynamic analysis with low variability.
• Demonstrated the applicability of SM for objective SD classification.
• Offers quantitative assessment of motor patterns crucial for rehabilitation and surgical treatment follow-up.