Upper limb joint muscle/tendon injury and anthropometric adaptations in French competitive tennis players

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the upper limb anthropometric dimensions and a history of dominant upper limb injury in tennis players. Dominant and non-dominant wrist, forearm, elbow and arm circumferences, along with a history of dominant upper limb injuries, were assessed in 147 male and female players, assigned to four groups based on location of injury: wrist (n = 9), elbow (n = 25), shoulder (n = 14) and healthy players (n = 99). From anthropometric dimensions, bilateral differences in circumferences and in proportions were calculated. The wrist group presented a significant bilateral difference in arm circumference, and asymmetrical bilateral proportions between wrist and forearm, as well as between elbow and arm, compared to the healthy group (6.6 ± 3.1% vs. 4.9 ± 4.0%, P < 0.01; -3.6 ± 3.0% vs. -0.9 ± 2.9%, P < 0.05; and -2.2 ± 2.2% vs. 0.1 ± 3.4%, P < 0.05, respectively). The elbow group displayed asymmetrical bilateral proportions between forearm and arm compared to the healthy group (-0.4 ± 4.3% vs. 1.5 ± 4.0%, P < 0.01). The shoulder group showed significant bilateral difference in elbow circumference, and asymmetrical bilateral proportions between forearm and elbow when compared to the healthy group (5.8 ± 4.7% vs. 3.1 ± 4.8%, P < 0.05 and -1.7 ± 4.5% vs. 1.4 ± 4.3%, P < 0.01, respectively). These findings suggest that players with a history of injury at the upper limb joint present altered dominant upper limb proportions in comparison with the non-dominant side, and such asymmetrical proportions would appear to be specific to the location of injury. Further studies are needed to confirm the link between location of tennis injury and asymmetry in upper limb proportions using high-tech measurements in symptomatic tennis players.

Adaptive Alterations in Shoulder Range of Motion and Strength in Young Tennis Players

“…The lack of difference in their strength ratios may reinforce the importance of developing the dominant side in symmetric proportion to the nondominant side to preserve physical integrity. 47 From an early age, a strength balance in the dominant rotator cuff and scapular muscles is crucial to maintaining humeral head congruence in the glenoid cavity when the upper extremity carries out tennis movements.…”

Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy to easily assess structural changes in dominant versus auxiliary upper arms due to pathophysiological events

“…So we continued to assess R F values only up to a fstep of 75 kHz. Figure 2 shows the regression curve of the R Fr-l values versus the corresponding f step and it is well represented (P = 0.003) by the equation (1).…”

“…Changes in the structural composition of the arm of one side with respect to that of the other side often may indicate not only proper adaptations in that arm, like as what happens in athletes engaged in asymmetric sports specialties [1], but also several illness occurring in other body organs. In fact, it has been found that a lot of post -breast cancer people shows accumulation of lymph fluid in the arm of the affected side [2].…”

Upper extremity bone mineral content asymmetries in tennis players: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…A symmetry index (SI) was used to calculate the difference, expressed as a percentage, between the extracted dominant and non-dominant upper extremity BMC values using the following formula: SI = ((dominant BMC/ non-dominant BMC) -1) x 100 (Rogowski et al, 2016). Two researchers (LC and NR) independently assessed risk of bias using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal tool for Analytical Cross-sectional or Cohort Studies (Moola et al, 2017).…”