| Background: Previous studies have shown a relationship between shoulder posterior capsule tightness and shoulder pain in overhead athletes. However, this relationship has not been studied in tennis players. Objectives: Assessment of the shoulder range of motion (ROM), strength and posterior capsule tightness of skilled amateur tennis players who had complaints of dominant shoulder pain in comparison with tennis players without pain. Method: Fortynine skilled amateur tennis players were distributed in 2 groups: Control Group (n=22) and Painful Group (n=27). The first group was composed of asymptomatic subjects, and the second was composed of subjects with shoulder pain on the dominant side. These groups were evaluated to determine the dominant and non-dominant shoulder ROM (internal and external rotation), isometric shoulder strength (internal and external rotation) and posterior shoulder tightness by blind evaluators. Results: The ANOVA results indicated significant differences between the groups in the dominant shoulder ROM, posterior capsule tightness, external rotation strength and strength ratio (p<0.05). The intragroup analysis (dominant versus non-dominant) in the Painful Group displayed a significant difference for ROM, posterior capsule tightness and external rotation strength (p<0.05). Conclusions: The tennis players with pain in the dominant shoulder presented greater posterior capsule tightness, internal rotation deficit (ROM), external rotation gain (ROM) and deficits in external rotation strength than the tennis players without pain.Keywords:physical therapy; rehabilitation; tennis; rotator cuff; Shoulder Impingement Syndrome. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLEMarcondes FB, Jesus JF, Bryk FF, Vasconcelos RA, Fukuda TY. Posterior shoulder tightness and rotator cuff strength assessments in painful shoulders of amateur tennis players. Braz J Phys Ther.

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Background: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is one of the major reasons for seeking medical and physical therapy services, because it usually causes diffi culties in performing daily life activities. There are several types of treatment, with varied results. The use of knee sleeve as an adjuvant resource has been controversial in the literature. Objective: To assess the immediate effi cacy of elastic knee sleeve on pain and functional capacity of individuals with KOA. Methods: Seventyfour patients (132 knees) with symptomatic KOA were assessed by use of the Stair Climb Power Test (SCPT), Timed Up and Go (TUG) and 8-Meter Walk (8MW) tests, in addition to the VAS for pain. The tests were performed with and without knee sleeves, with a cover on the knees to hide knee sleeve. The order and the presence of the knee sleeve were randomized, and the investigator was blind. Results: A statistically signifi cant difference was found between the two compared circumstances (with and without knee sleeve) when using the VAS (P < 0.001), which showed a reduction in pain with the knee sleeve use. Analyses of the three functional tests under both circumstances were performed, resulting in statistically signifi cant differences in 8MW and TUG tests (P < 0.05), but not in SCPT (P > 0.1339). Conclusion: The elastic knee sleeve proved to be effective to immediately improve the functional capacity and pain of individuals with KOA, because it enhanced performance during the tests proposed. Thus, the knee sleeve is an adjuvant resource for treating KOA, because it is practical, useful, and of easy clinical use, and can aid in the practice of therapeutic exercises.

This study evaluated IL-1β, COX-2, and PGE2 modulation in partially injured Achilles tendons treated with low-level laser therapy (LLLT). Sixty-five male Wistar rats were used. Sixty were submitted to a direct injury on Achilles tendon and then distributed into six groups: LASER 1 (a single LLLT application), LASER 3 (three LLLT applications), and LASER 7 (seven LLLT applications) and Sham 1, 3, and 7 (the same injury but LLLT applications were simulated). The five remaining animals were allocated at control group (no procedure performed). LLLT (780 nm) was applied with 70 mW of mean power and 17.5 J/cm(2) of fluency for 10 s, once a day. The tendons were surgically removed and assessed immunohistochemically for IL-1β, COX-2, and PGE2. In comparisons with control (IL-1β: 100.5 ± 92.5 / COX-2: 180.1 ± 97.1 / PGE2: 187.8 ± 128.8) IL-1β exhibited (mean ± SD) near-normal level (p > 0.05) at LASER 3 (142.0 ± 162.4). COX-2 and PGE2 exhibited near-normal levels (p > 0.05) at LASER 3 (COX-2: 176.9 ± 75.4 / PGE2: 297.2 ± 259.6) and LASER 7 (COX-2: 259.2 ± 190.4 / PGE2: 587.1 ± 409.7). LLLT decreased Achilles tendon's inflammatory process.

LLLT did not stimulate the expression of VEGF in the treated Achilles tendons.

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Background: Despite the increase in the use of low-level laser therapy (LLLT), there is still a lack of consensus in the literature regarding

LLLT stimulated collagen I proliferation, improving the injured Achilles tendons' healing process.