Teres major rupture: case report in a jiu-jitsu athlete

The rupture of the teres major muscle is a well-known condition in sports activities like baseball, hockey, and tennis. There is no real consensus in the literature regarding treatment, with approaches varying between functional and surgical methods. While functional treatment appears to be a viable option, there is a lack of evidence indicating significant improvement in medial rotation strength after aforementioned treatment. We report a 30-year-old male with pain below the right armpit for the past 10 days, attributed to jiu-jitsu training which revealed a complete tear of the musculotendinous junction of the teres major and a partial insertional tear (approximately 75% of thickness) of the supraspinatus and infraspinatus tendons, along with atrophy in the musculotendinous transition of the pectoralis major. The patient was treated with analgesic medication, accompanied by physiotherapeutic treatment included electrothermophototherapy, laser/LED therapy, manual therapy, and a structured exercise regimen over 14 weeks, gradually reintroducing sport-specific training.