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Association between acromioclavicular joint pain and capsular bulging in adolescent baseball players

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Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy Aims and scope

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between acromioclavicular (AC) joint pain and superior capsular bulging assessed by ultrasound in adolescent baseball players.

Methods

One hundred and fifty players (1st–8th graders) were examined. All subjects underwent physical examinations, including assessment of tenderness on the AC joint and provocative tests (the Buchberger’s test and the cross-body adduction stress test). Bilateral AC joints with the arm in both the resting and the cross-body positions were examined by ultrasound.

Results

Twelve of 150 players (8 %) had AC symptoms with both positive tenderness and positive provocative tests. Interestingly, their prevalence increased with age—one of the 70 (1.4 %) 1st–3rd graders, six of 46 (13 %) 4th–6th graders and five of 34 (15 %) 7th–8th graders. Ultrasonography of AC joints in the cross-body position showed that the difference in superior capsular bulging between the throwing and non-throwing sides was significantly greater in symptomatic players (1.6 ± 1.2 mm) than in asymptomatic players (0.2 ± 0.8 mm) (p = 0.002).

Conclusion

The prevalence of superior capsular bulging was significantly higher in adolescent baseball players with AC joint pain than in those without it. In adolescent baseball players with shoulder pain, AC joint symptoms should be considered amongst potential causes. Careful observation of these patients is suggested in cases of superior capsular bulging of the AC joint as determined by ultrasonography.

Level of evidence

III.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8574, Japan

    Taku Hatta, Nobuyuki Yamamoto, Hirotaka Sano, Hideaki Nagamoto, Daisuke Kurokawa, Hiroyuki Takahashi & Eiji Itoi

  2. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Tohoku Rosai Hospital, Sendai, Japan

    Minoru Tanaka

  3. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Sendai Red Cross Hospital, Sendai, Japan

    Yoichi Koike

Authors
  1. Taku Hatta
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  2. Nobuyuki Yamamoto
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  3. Hirotaka Sano
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  4. Hideaki Nagamoto
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  5. Daisuke Kurokawa
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  6. Hiroyuki Takahashi
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  7. Minoru Tanaka
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  8. Yoichi Koike
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  9. Eiji Itoi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Taku Hatta.

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Hatta, T., Yamamoto, N., Sano, H. et al. Association between acromioclavicular joint pain and capsular bulging in adolescent baseball players. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 24, 3750–3755 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-015-3603-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-015-3603-y

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