Scapular Dyskinesis and Associated Factors in Adult Elite Swimmers

Background and Objectives: Swimmers are repeatedly exposed to overhead shoulder movements, which overload the surrounding soft tissue and may contribute to shoulder pain. These repetitive demands have also been implicated in the development of scapular dyskinesis (SD). This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the prevalence of SD and to examine its associations with extrinsic and intrinsic factors in adult elite swimmers. Materials and Methods: Fifty competitive swimmers (mean age, 23.9 years; mean training experience, 13.6 years) participated in this study. SD was graded using the Scapular Dyskinesis Test. Extrinsic factors included dominant side, breathing side, years of experience, and primary stroke. Intrinsic factors included Lateral Scapular Slide Test (LSST) distance, pectoralis minor length, glenohumeral internal rotation (IR) range of motion (ROM), shoulder pain, and Penn Shoulder Score. Results: SD was identified in 46% of swimmers. Years of experience and primary stroke showed no significant association with SD; however, obvious SD was observed only in butterfly and freestyle specialists. Increasing SD severity was associated with shorter pectoralis minor length (p < 0.001) and reduced IR ROM (p = 0.013), particularly in the obvious group. Although SD was not related to shoulder pain, it was significantly related to lower Penn Shoulder Scores (p = 0.039). Conclusions: SD is common in adult elite swimmers and is associated with shortened pectoralis minor, reduced IR ROM, and impaired shoulder function, but not to pain.