Rugby is a high-impact sport characterized by numerous shoulder collisions, which can lead to significant traumatic stress on the shoulder joint. This stress may compromise the static stabilizers of the shoulder, increasing the risk of severe injuries such as dislocations and full-thickness rotator cuff tears. The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical and ultrasonographic characteristics of the dominant shoulder in amateur rugby players with no prior history of shoulder injuries and to compare these findings with a control group.
The study involved 52 male participants, consisting of 26 amateur rugby players and 26 individuals who did not engage in rugby or competitive sports. A detailed clinical history was gathered from all participants, followed by physical examinations and ultrasonographic assessments of the dominant shoulder. The results revealed that rugby players exhibited a significantly higher prevalence of positive clinical tests indicative of subacromial impingement compared to the control group (p = 0.01). Additionally, 19.2% of rugby players tested positive for radiculopathy (p = 0.02), and a notable 73.1% reported experiencing shoulder pain that required pain-relieving medications at least once in the previous six months (p = 0.001). Ultrasound evaluations in the rugby group showed degenerative changes in 23.1% of cases and calcifications in the supraspinatus tendons of 30.8% (p < 0.05).
These findings suggest that even uninjured dominant shoulders in rugby players exhibit a higher prevalence of clinical and ultrasonographic abnormalities compared to the control group. Furthermore, some players without a history of cervical symptoms presented with positive clinical tests for cervical radiculopathy. The importance of clinical and ultrasonographic monitoring of the shoulder is underscored as a preventive measure for identifying asymptomatic shoulder damage in these athletes.
