The shoulder of the tennis player.

A depression of the exercised shoulder was found among highly trained tennis players, and in other athletes employing the overhand motion. This deformity is attributed to stretching of the shoulder elevating muscles, and to hypertrophy of the racket-holding extremity. Most symptoms in the shoulders studied were in the region of the rotator cuff, and occurred upon strokes requiring abduction. Shoulder dependency causes a relative abduction of the extremity, which may result in impingement of the rotator cuff. Shoulder droop may lead to thoracic outlet syndrome, and, in the athlete, may simulate scoliosis.