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.
