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Suprascapular Nerve Palsy, Sports Medicine

Philip H. Cohen, MD, CSQSM and James C. Puffer, MD Reviewed 04/2019
 


BASICS

EPIDEMIOLOGY

  • Relatively uncommon; true incidence unknown

  • May occur in up to 45% of international-level volleyball players 1

  • Ganglion cyst found at spinoglenoid notch in 1% of cadavers in one study

  • ...

DIAGNOSIS

HISTORY

  • Traumatic versus atraumatic? May yield clues to mechanism of injury; traction injury caused by blunt trauma has a good prognosis.

  • Painful versus painless? Painless weakness suggests di...

TREATMENT

Unless there is a well-defined lesion causing suprascapular nerve compression, nonoperative therapy is recommended 1,3,5,6[B]. This includes: 
  • Rest from overhead movements/throwing/exacerbati...

ONGOING CARE

COMPLICATIONS

  • Ganglion cysts at the spinoglenoid notch may be secondary to labral injuries, especially SLAP lesions.

  • Secondary impingement may develop owing to loss of supraspinatus/infrasp...

REFERENCES

1
Safran MR. Nerve injury about the shoulder in athletes, part 1: suprascapular nerve and axillary nerve. Am J Sports Med.  2004;32(3):803–819.
2
Toth C. Peripheral nerve injuries attribu...

CLINICAL PEARLS

  • Return to play depends on severity and cause of the neuropathy. As strength increases and atrophy and symptoms resolve, a gradual return to play may be initiated.

  • Return of muscle stren...

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