[Chronic shoulder pain in the volleyball attack player]

30 competitive volleyball attackers of the German third league, 15 with shoulder pain (group I) and 15 without shoulder pain (group II) were examined clinically and sonographically. Anamnesis was also carried out. The results were compared with those of a control of 15 non-volleyball players not subject to stress caused by overhead use of their arms. On the visual analog scale the average pain was 5.1 (SD 1.4). The average history of pain was 2.7 (SD 2.7) years. Cause for the pain was "spiking without warming up" (n = 7) or "unknown" (n = 8). Spiking respectively serving caused new pain sensation in 14 (11) attackers. Players of group I stretched shorter than those of group II. Pain was located laterally to the greater tuberculum (n = 8), at the origin of the deltoid muscle (n = 3), at the bicipital groove (n = 2) or in the area of the ventral glenoid (n = 2). Pain was caused by active anteversion above 160 degrees (n = 3), active abduction above 140 degrees (n = 2) or both (n = 10). The playing shoulder was depressed in all 30 volleyball attackers. By measuring the distance from the epicondylus radii to the acromion of the other side by maximal forced horizontal adduction, the distance from the margo medialis scapula to the spine, the distance from the tip of middle finger to the lumbar spine by maximal internal rotation of the shoulder up the back showed significant differences between both sides and between the groups. The spiking arm scapula is significantly lateralised compared to the opposite side and compared to sportsmen.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)