Achenbach, Leonard and Limmer, Jonas and Zeman, Florian and Rudert, Maximilian and Walter, Sven S. (2025) Increased humeral retrotorsion is not a risk factor for overuse injury of the throwing shoulder in elite youth handball athletes. JOURNAL OF SHOULDER AND ELBOW SURGERY, 34 (1). pp. 2-9. ISSN 1058-2746, 1532-6500
Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)Abstract
Background: To identify the potential role of humeral retrotorsion (HRT) and range of motion (ROM) as a risk factor for shoulder overuse injury in elite youth handball players. The hypothesis was that increased HRT is associated with an increased risk of shoulder overuse injury. Methods: Over 2 seasons, 258 elite youth handball players (52% boys; age:14 +/- 0.8 years) were included. Preseason assessment included HRT and glenohumeral internal and external (ER) rotational ROM using ultrasound and a manual goniometer. Sportsspecific adaptations between male and female athletes and the dominant and nondominant shoulder were calculated. In addition, players completed standardized questionnaires over the 2018-2019 or 2019-20 season and reported any shoulder overuse symptoms using the Western Ontario Shoulder Index questionnaire. Results: Comparing male and female players showed significantly decreased HRT and decreased internal ROM in the dominant side of male athletes (P < .027). No other difference was found. Significant side-to-side differences between the dominant and nondominant shoulder were found for HRT, internal rotation, and ER, regardless of sex (P < .001). For total range of motion, only female athletes showed a significant increase in the dominant arm (P = .032). The dominant side showed a significantly higher glenohumeral internal rotation deficit in male athletes than in female athletes (10 degrees +/- 17 degrees vs 5 degrees +/- 10 degrees, P = .011). Adaptations in HRT, ER gain, and total range of motion gain were not significant. Over the course of the 2 seasons, 20 athletes reported shoulder overuse injuries. Although glenohumeral internal rotation deficit was borderline nonsignificant (P = .056), none of the parameters tested were significantly associated with shoulder overuse injuries. Conclusion: Despite significant side-to-side differences and sport-specific adaptations, individual preseason screening of humeral retrotorsion and soft tissue adaptations does not identify elite youth handball athletes at increased risk of shoulder overuse injury.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | BASEBALL PLAYERS; ELBOW INJURIES; ULTRASOUND MEASUREMENT; MRI FINDINGS; TORSION; RETROVERSION; MOTION; RELIABILITY; RANGE; ASSOCIATION; Shoulder; adolescent; overuse injury; range of motion |
| Subjects: | 600 Technology > 610 Medical sciences Medicine |
| Divisions: | Medicine > Zentren des Universitätsklinikums Regensburg > Zentrum für Klinische Studien |
| Depositing User: | Dr. Gernot Deinzer |
| Date Deposited: | 24 Mar 2026 07:58 |
| Last Modified: | 24 Mar 2026 07:58 |
| URI: | https://pred.uni-regensburg.de/id/eprint/64750 |
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