Clinical Measures of Shoulder Mobility in College Water-Polo Players
Context:Overhead stress from both swimming and throwing in water-polo players might lead to alterations in shoulder mobility and subsequent injury.Objective:To evaluate clinical measures of shoulder mobility in college water-polo players.Design:Repeated measures.Setting:University athletic training facility.Patients:31 Division I water-polo athletes.Main Outcome Measures:Measures were obtained for both the dominant and nondominant shoulders. Scapular upward rotation was measured using a digital inclinometer, posterior shoulder tightness was assessed by recording horizontal adduction with the scapula stabilized, and passive isolated glenohumeral-joint internal- and external-rotation range of motion were measured using goniometry.Results:No significant difference was observed between sides for scapular upward rotation (P= .68), posterior shoulder tightness (P= .25), or internal rotation (P= .41). A significant difference between sides was present for external rotation (P< .0001) and total arc of motion (P= .039).Conclusions:The dominant shoulders demonstrated significantly greater external rotation and a significantly greater total arc of motion than the nondominant shoulders did.