title: Latissimus dorsi and teres major tears in professional baseball pitchers: a case series.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Latissimus dorsi and teres major tendon tears are uncommon injuries. Only a few case reports exist, mainly in high-level athletes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe a series of latissimus dorsi and teres major tendon tears in professional baseball pitchers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case series; Level of evidence, 4.
  
  
  METHODS
  Injury data from 3 Major League Baseball clubs were collected over a total of 10 seasons. Any baseball player who sustained an injury to either the latissimus dorsi or teres major identified on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was included. All injured players were treated nonoperatively with a goal of returning to full velocity throwing at 3 months from the time of injury.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten players sustained injuries to the latissimus dorsi and/or the teres major during pitching. The MRI findings documented 5 isolated latissimus dorsi tears, 4 isolated teres major tears, and 1 combined injury. All athletes returned to pitching, and all but 1 player returned to baseball at the same level of competition in the same season. Nine of 10 players returned at 3 months from the time of their injury. One recurrence was seen 6 months after returning to throwing; however, this healed with further nonoperative treatment, and the player returned to competition at the same level 6 weeks later. One player had continued shoulder symptoms and retired at the end of the season.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although uncommon, tears of the latissimus dorsi and teres major occur in professional baseball players. Acute injuries are demonstrated on standard shoulder MRI, although larger field-of-view images are required to accurately assess the injury. Most heal successfully with nonoperative treatment, and most players are able to return to the same level of competition in 3 months.
authors.affiliation: Cleveland Clinic Sports Health, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Mark S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Schickendantz
authors.forename: Scott G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Kaar
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Meister
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lund
authors.forename: Laurel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Beverley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001484:Baseball / Q000293:injuries*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013708:Tendon Injuries / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D013710:Tendons / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult