The care of the contact athlete's shoulder: rotator cuff, proximal biceps, pectoralis and latissimus injuries-a narrative review.
- 1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
Abstract
Injuries are common in contact and collision sports such as American football, soccer, hockey, lacrosse, wrestling, basketball, and rugby. Traumatic shoulder injuries are frequently encountered, with a range of presentations that demand prompt and accurate diagnosis to guide return-to-play decisions and treatment planning. While common injuries such as glenohumeral dislocations and acromioclavicular (AC) joint separations are well described in the literature, less common pathologies-including traumatic rotator cuff tears, acute proximal biceps tendon injuries, pectoralis major ruptures, and latissimus dorsi ruptures-are less well-represented in the literature. These rare, contact injuries can be diagnostically challenging and lack well-defined management algorithms, in particular for in-season athletes. The aim of this paper is to synthesize the available literature and to guide the accurate diagnosis and management of these relatively rare contact injuries of the shoulder. We systematically searched multiple electronic databases for papers regarding acute pectoralis major, latissimus dorsi, rotator cuff, and biceps tendon tears, specifically in contact athletes. Sources were reviewed and excluded if they focused on chronic or non-contact injuries or were greater than 20 years old. These injuries predominantly occur in contact and collision sports where the mechanism of injury often involves forceful impact or eccentric overload. Sideline assessments prioritize immediate triage and gross deformity recognition, whereas clinic-based evaluations afford more comprehensive musculoskeletal examination and imaging, facilitating nuanced diagnoses. This review outlines the clinical presentation, diagnostic considerations, and current evidence-based management strategies for these uncommon shoulder injuries sustained by contact athletes. Although there is limited published about these rare, contact shoulder injuries, this narrative review aims to provide orthopedic surgeons and team physicians with practical insights for optimizing care in high-demand athletic populations.
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BibTeX
@article{gardner2026care,
title = {{The care of the contact athlete's shoulder: rotator cuff, proximal biceps, pectoralis and latissimus injuries-a narrative review.}},
author = {Tyler Gardner and Sydney Solberg and Paul G Shupe and Bonnie P Gregory},
journal = {Annals of joint},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.21037/aoj-25-32},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42999778},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The care of the contact athlete's shoulder: rotator cuff, proximal biceps, pectoralis and latissimus injuries-a narrative review.
AU - Tyler Gardner
AU - Sydney Solberg
AU - Paul G Shupe
AU - Bonnie P Gregory
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/26
JO - Annals of joint
DO - 10.21037/aoj-25-32
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42999778
AB - Injuries are common in contact and collision sports such as American football, soccer, hockey, lacrosse, wrestling, basketball, and rugby. Traumatic shoulder injuries are frequently encountered, with a range of presentations that demand prompt and accurate diagnosis to guide return-to-play decisions and treatment planning. While common injuries such as glenohumeral dislocations and acromioclavicular (AC) joint separations are well described in the literature, less common pathologies-including traumatic rotator cuff tears, acute proximal biceps tendon injuries, pectoralis major ruptures, and latissimus dorsi ruptures-are less well-represented in the literature. These rare, contact injuries can be diagnostically challenging and lack well-defined management algorithms, in particular for in-season athletes. The aim of this paper is to synthesize the available literature and to guide the accurate diagnosis and management of these relatively rare contact injuries of the shoulder. We systematically searched multiple electronic databases for papers regarding acute pectoralis major, latissimus dorsi, rotator cuff, and biceps tendon tears, specifically in contact athletes. Sources were reviewed and excluded if they focused on chronic or non-contact injuries or were greater than 20 years old. These injuries predominantly occur in contact and collision sports where the mechanism of injury often involves forceful impact or eccentric overload. Sideline assessments prioritize immediate triage and gross deformity recognition, whereas clinic-based evaluations afford more comprehensive musculoskeletal examination and imaging, facilitating nuanced diagnoses. This review outlines the clinical presentation, diagnostic considerations, and current evidence-based management strategies for these uncommon shoulder injuries sustained by contact athletes. Although there is limited published about these rare, contact shoulder injuries, this narrative review aims to provide orthopedic surgeons and team physicians with practical insights for optimizing care in high-demand athletic populations.
SN - 2415-6809
ER -