Vascular problems in the proximal upper extremity.

Vascular problems of the proximal upper extremity present with symptoms and signs of venous and arterial occlusion. They are rare, and sports medicine literature contains only case reports. Blunt trauma and activity requiring repetitive, overhead use of the arm are the usual mechanisms of injury. In athlete who perform repetitive upper-extremity activity, symptoms of easy fatigability of poorly localized pain and paresthesias should alert the treating physician to vascular occlusive disease. Published information suggests a good return-to-sport prognosis, but, because of the small number of cases, this information may be misleading.