• The Journal of Korean Orthopaedic Ultrasound Society
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.81-88
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• 2012

Purpose: To evaluate the ultrasonographic (US) findings in both shoulders of asymptomatic high school overhead athletes and compare with healthy control. Materials and Methods: 33 individuals (age: $17.5{\pm}1.4$ years) participated in this study. We recruited two groups of high school male athletes, 13 baseball and 10 volleyball players without shoulder pain for recent 6 months as well as one control group of 10 untrained healthy high school students who were age-matched. Ultrasound measurements of thickness of biceps and supraspinatus tendon and acromio-humral distance (AHD) at 0o abduction were taken in dominant and nondominant shoulders. Results: On US examination, subacromial bursa effusion was observed in 5 of the dominant shoulders and in 1 of the nondominant shoulder of 23 overhead athletes and in none of the asymptomatic controls. The thickness of the biceps and supraspinatus tendons and AHD in both shoulders were significantly greater in the athletes than in the controls (P<0.05). We also found that the thickness of the biceps and supraspinatus tendon and AHD of the dominant shoulder were significantly greater than the non-dominant shoulder in overhead athletes (P<0.05), but there were no differences between baseball and volleyball players. Conclusion: Subacromial effusion could be found even in the asymptomatic stage overhead athlete and the thickness of the biceps and supraspinatus tendons and AHD were significantly greater in the overhead athletes than in the healthy controls. Our data is useful reference guide for the ultrasonographic diagnosis of shoulder pathologies occurring in overhead athletes.