Isolated and painless (?) atrophy of the infraspinatus muscle: left handed versus right handed volleyball players

Côelho, Thiago D. Gonçalves

doi:10.1590/S0004-282X1994000400014

Abstracts

The suprascapular nerve originates from the upper trunk of the brachial plexus or less frequently from the root of C5. It runs a short way and crosses the suprascapular notch. It innervates the supraspinatus muscle and the acromioclavicular and glenohumeral joints. Then, it crosses the lateral edge of the spine of the scapula passing through the spinoglenoid notch, and innervates the infraspinatus muscle. These are potential sites of injury to the suprascapular nerve. Three cases of suprascapular nerve entrapment causing an isolated infraspinatus muscle atrophy in volleyball players were studied. It is suggested the hypothesis that the nature of the smash, in which the athlete uses the arm violently, more than does in volleyball service or in the art of reception, is the key to the pathogenesis of the lesion in volleyball players.

volleyball; infraspinatus muscle; suprascapular nerve; entrapment neuropathy; muscular atrophy

O nervo supraescapular se origina do tronco superior do plexo braquial ou, menos frequentemente, da raiz de C5. Percorre curto caminho e cruza a incisura supraescapular. Daí, o nervo supraescapular dá ramos para o músculo supraespinhoso e para as articulações acromioclavicular e glenoumeral. Então, cruza a borda lateral da espinha da escápula, passando através da chanfradura espinoglenóide e inervando o músculo infraespinhoso. Esses são locais potenciais para lesão do nervo supraescapular. Foram estudados três casos de compressão do nervo supraescapular causando atrofia isolada do músculo infraespinhoso em jogadores de voleibol. É sugerida a hipótese de que a natureza do ataque, na qual o atleta usa o braço violentamente, mais do que no saque ou na recepção, seja a chave da patogênese da lesão em jogadores de voleibol.

voleibol; músculo infraespinhal; nervo supraescapular; neuropatía compressiva; atrofia muscular

Isolated and painless (?) atrophy of the infraspinatus muscle: left handed versus right handed volleyball players

Atrofia isolada e não dolorosa (?) do músculo infraespinhoso: jogadores de voleibol destros versus canhotos

Thiago D. Gonçalves Côelho

Medicine student. Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Paraiba

SUMMARY

The suprascapular nerve originates from the upper trunk of the brachial plexus or less frequently from the root of C5. It runs a short way and crosses the suprascapular notch. It innervates the supraspinatus muscle and the acromioclavicular and glenohumeral joints. Then, it crosses the lateral edge of the spine of the scapula passing through the spinoglenoid notch, and innervates the infraspinatus muscle. These are potential sites of injury to the suprascapular nerve. Three cases of suprascapular nerve entrapment causing an isolated infraspinatus muscle atrophy in volleyball players were studied. It is suggested the hypothesis that the nature of the smash, in which the athlete uses the arm violently, more than does in volleyball service or in the art of reception, is the key to the pathogenesis of the lesion in volleyball players.

Key words: volleyball, infraspinatus muscle, suprascapular nerve, entrapment neuropathy, muscular atrophy.

RESUMO

O nervo supraescapular se origina do tronco superior do plexo braquial ou, menos frequentemente, da raiz de C5. Percorre curto caminho e cruza a incisura supraescapular. Daí, o nervo supraescapular dá ramos para o músculo supraespinhoso e para as articulações acromioclavicular e glenoumeral. Então, cruza a borda lateral da espinha da escápula, passando através da chanfradura espinoglenóide e inervando o músculo infraespinhoso. Esses são locais potenciais para lesão do nervo supraescapular. Foram estudados três casos de compressão do nervo supraescapular causando atrofia isolada do músculo infraespinhoso em jogadores de voleibol. É sugerida a hipótese de que a natureza do ataque, na qual o atleta usa o braço violentamente, mais do que no saque ou na recepção, seja a chave da patogênese da lesão em jogadores de voleibol.

Palavras-chave: voleibol, músculo infraespinhal, nervo supraescapular, neuropatía compressiva, atrofia muscular.

Texto completo disponível apenas em PDF.

Full text available only in PDF format.

Acknowledgements - We would like to thank to the coach Mr. Fernando Antonio Ferreira de Andrade from S.E.R.V. team. Also, we thank to Mr. Marcelo Jackson Dinoa Almeida and to the players that permitted us to make all required examinations. We thank to Dr. Jovany LA. Medeiros for performing the electrophysiological studies.

Aceite: 28-junho-1994.

Thiago Diniz Gonçalves Côelho - Rua Monsenhor Palmeira 454 - 58135-000 Esperança PB - Brasil.

1. Black KP, Lombardo JA. Suprascapular nerve injuries with isolated paralysis of the infraspinatus. Am J Sports Med 1990, 18: 437-444.
2. Bryan WJ, Wild JJ Jr. Isolated infraspinatus atrophy: a common cause of posterior shoulder pain and weakness in throwing athletes? Am J Sports Med 1989, 17: 130-131.
3. Ferreti A, Cerullo G, Russo G. Suprascapular neuropathy in volleyball players. J Bone Joint Surg 1987, 69: 260-263.
4. Goss CM. Gray Anatomia. Ed 29. Odorico Machado de Souza (trad). Rio de Janeiro: Guanabara Koogan, 1988, p 960-964.
5. Gowan ID, Jobe FW, Tibone JE, Perry J, Moynes DR. A comparative electromyographic analysis of the shoulder during pitching: professional versus amateurs. Am J Sports Med 1987, 15: 586-590.
6. Hadley MN, Sonntag VKH, Pittman HW Suprascapular nerve entrapment: a summary of seven cases. J Neurosurg 1986, 64: 843-848.
7. Liveson JA, Bronson MJ, Pollack MA. Suprascapular nerve lesions at the spinogleinoid notch: report of three cases and review of the literature. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1991, 54: 241-243.
8. Pappas AM, Zawacki RM, Sullivan TJ. Biomechanics of baseball pitching: a preliminary report. Am J Sports Med 1985, 13: 216-222.
9. Tengan CH, Oliveira ASB, Kiymoto BH, Morita MPN, Medeiros JLA, Gabbai AA. Isolated and painless infraspinatus atrophy in top-level volleyball players: report of two cases and review of the literature. Arq Neuropsiquiatr 1993, 51: 125-129.

Publication Dates

Publication in this collection
19 Jan 2011
Date of issue
Dec 1994

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

[1] 1. Black KP, Lombardo JA. Suprascapular nerve injuries with isolated paralysis of the infraspinatus. Am J Sports Med 1990, 18: 437-444.

[2] 2. Bryan WJ, Wild JJ Jr. Isolated infraspinatus atrophy: a common cause of posterior shoulder pain and weakness in throwing athletes? Am J Sports Med 1989, 17: 130-131.

[3] 3. Ferreti A, Cerullo G, Russo G. Suprascapular neuropathy in volleyball players. J Bone Joint Surg 1987, 69: 260-263.

[4] 4. Goss CM. Gray Anatomia. Ed 29. Odorico Machado de Souza (trad). Rio de Janeiro: Guanabara Koogan, 1988, p 960-964.

[5] 5. Gowan ID, Jobe FW, Tibone JE, Perry J, Moynes DR. A comparative electromyographic analysis of the shoulder during pitching: professional versus amateurs. Am J Sports Med 1987, 15: 586-590.

[6] 6. Hadley MN, Sonntag VKH, Pittman HW Suprascapular nerve entrapment: a summary of seven cases. J Neurosurg 1986, 64: 843-848.

[7] 7. Liveson JA, Bronson MJ, Pollack MA. Suprascapular nerve lesions at the spinogleinoid notch: report of three cases and review of the literature. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1991, 54: 241-243.

[8] 8. Pappas AM, Zawacki RM, Sullivan TJ. Biomechanics of baseball pitching: a preliminary report. Am J Sports Med 1985, 13: 216-222.

[9] 9. Tengan CH, Oliveira ASB, Kiymoto BH, Morita MPN, Medeiros JLA, Gabbai AA. Isolated and painless infraspinatus atrophy in top-level volleyball players: report of two cases and review of the literature. Arq Neuropsiquiatr 1993, 51: 125-129.