title: Partial rupture of the pectoralis major muscle in athletes.
abstract: Partial rupture of the pectoralis major muscle is quite a rare event in sports traumatology and information about its treatment is lacking in literature. In this paper the long term effect of conservative non-surgical treatment in two body-builders and one shot-putter is discussed, who reported the partial rupture while performing bench lifts with barbells. Functional recovery was evaluated a few years after the injury (from 4 to 7) with an isokinetic dynamometer (Cybex II, Lumex INC N.Y.), measuring maximal shoulder adduction-abduction torques at different angular speeds (60, 180, and 300 degrees/s). The results were compared with those of five healthy athletes practicing either body-building or weight-lifting. From the present study we conclude the following: the non-invasive treatment of a partial rupture of the pectoralis major muscle may produce almost complete functional recovery; in normal subjects adduction muscles are advantageous in comparison to the abduction ones.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biomediche, Università di Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Roi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Respizzi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dworzak
mesh_terms: D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010369:Pectoralis Muscles / Q000293:injuries* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012421:Rupture; D014891:Weight Lifting / Q000293:injuries*