Common Shoulder Injuries in American Football Athletes

Daniel B. Gibbs, T. Sean Lynch*, Erika D. Nuber, Gordon W. Nuber

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

43 Scopus citations

Abstract

American football is a collision sport played by athletes at high speeds. Despite the padding and conditioning in these athletes, the shoulder is a vulnerable joint, and injuries to the shoulder girdle are common at all levels of competitive football. Some of the most common injuries in these athletes include anterior and posterior glenohumeral instability, acromioclavicular pathology (including separation, osteolysis, and osteoarthritis), rotator cuff pathology (including contusions, partial thickness, and full thickness tears), and pectoralis major and minor tears. In this article, we will review the epidemiology and clinical and radiographic workup of these injuries. We also will evaluate the effectiveness of surgical and nonsurgical management specifically related to high school, collegiate, and professional football athletes.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)413-419
Number of pages7
JournalCurrent Sports Medicine Reports
Volume14
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 12 2015

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Common Shoulder Injuries in American Football Athletes'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this