Shoulder injuries: is there a characteristic syndrome of 'snowboarder's shoulder'?

Abstract

Injured shoulders have been examined by a new technique, which, it is believed, shows a previously unrecognised, typical muscle imbalance. The long head of the triceps, the pectoralis major and the biceps brachii are involved and changes in their muscle tone have been detected. It is believed that this causes ventral (anterior) protrusion of the humeral head and consequent instability of the glenohumeral joint. The paper describes the method of examination and treatment of these cases. Further work is required to show the validity of these findings and whether this pattern is seen most frequently in snowboarders.

Keywords:

• SHOULDER
• JOINT INSTABILITY
• MUSCLE IMBALANCE
• SNOWBOARD