Neuropatia supraescapular em atletas de voleibol: repercussões biomecânicas e lesões associadas

Abstract

Suprascapular neuropathy is a peripheral nerve damage that may have root causes such as trauma or repetitive overhead. The atrophy of the infraspinatus muscle stems of this condition, and is seen in about 20% of volleyball players. The mechanism of injury is most commonly observed in this population is the overload, due to the intense repetition of movements observed in this sport. The supraescapular nerve is stretched during the deceleration phase of the action sports of volleyball, in which humerus is positioned in internal rotation and adduction of the glenohumeral joint. The observed biomechanics in volleyball during the sports gesture drawing and cut the need of proper function of the rotator cuff to occur optimally. In the presence of supraescapular neuropathy, supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscles comprising the rotator cuff are weak, the correctness of the movements is not observed, compromising the integrity of surrounding structures such as tendons and ligaments. The weakness of these muscles generates biomechanical compensations for preserving the system’s functionality, such as overload of adjacent muscles (deltoid, upper trapezius). However, the rewards are not always effective, and sometimes lead to injury. Associated injuries are the most commonly observed tendinopathies of the rotator cuff, impingement syndrome and subacromial bursitis. The appearance of these lesions may serve as a warning to diagnose supraescapular neuropathy, since it is a rare disease symptoms.