Scapular dyskinesis: The origo of shoulder lesions?

Abstract

Introduction: The altered static and/or dynamic scapular position, i. e., scapular dyskinesis, is often paralleled with shoulder pathologies. However, shoulder kinematic abnormalities may also be present in large numbers in asymptomatic individuals. Objective: The main goal of our work was to draw attention to the importance of scapular dyskinesis in shoulder pathologies. Method: The final sample consisted of 70 people (average age: 22.17 ± 1.77 years), 67% of them was male and 33% female. The presence of scapular dyskinesis was assessed by McClure's Scapular Dyskinesis Test. Visual analog scale was used to examine the shoulder pain of the participants, photogrammetric method was used to document their habitual posture. Kendall's manual muscle testing methods were used to determine the muscle strength of the individual muscles of the shoulder girdle; we also recorded their anthropometric data and asked them about their sporting habits. Results: In 53% of the participants, some degree of scapular dyskinesis was found. We observed significant correlation between the sporting habits and scapular dyskinesis (p = 0.01). Significant correlation was observed between the posture and scapular dyskinesis (p = 0.01). Between the strength of pain and the dyskinesis, we found a significant correlation (p = 0.03). There was a significant correlation between the results of the McClure's test and the tests showing muscle strength loss around the scapula (p = 0.01). Conclusion: In addition to elite athletes, scapular dyskinesis may also be significantly present in the average population and can play a key role in the development of shoulder pain.