title: Ultrasonographic evaluation of the shoulder in elite Italian beach volleyball players.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Beach volleyball is an overhead sport that subjects the hitting shoulder to intense functional loads. The purpose of this study is to identify ultrasonographically the prevalence of myotendinous alterations in professional Italian beach volleyball players at the Italian championship and to look for associations between ultrasound findings and the other data collected.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-three beach volleyball players (31 women, 22 men) were recruited during the second stage of the Italian championship held in July 2012 in Rome, Italy. Clinical history was obtained from all subjects, followed by physical exam. Each athlete completed a questionnaire regarding sports activities. Bilateral ultrasonographic evaluation of the shoulders was then performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Calcific tendinopathy of the rotator cuff of the hitting shoulder was identified ultrasonographically in 30% of the athletes. The mean age of the athletes with calcific tendinopathy was older than subjects with other abnormalities on ultrasonographic examination (33.1 years vs. 25.8 years, t-test; P<0.0001). Impingement was recognized ultrasonographically in the hitting shoulder in 10 of the athletes (18.8%). The Neer's test was positive in the cases of anterior impingement (χ2; P<0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Calcific tendinopathy of the rotator cuff of the hitting shoulder in professional beach volleyball players has a prevalence of 30% ultrasonographically, greater than that reported in the general population. In these athletes, the presence of calcific tendinopathy correlates positively with age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedicine and Preventative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery "Tor Vergata" University of Rome, Rome, Italy - giovanni.monteleone@uniroma2.it.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Monteleone
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tramontana
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mc Donald
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sorge
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tiloca
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Foti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D000070636:Rotator Cuff Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D000070599:Shoulder Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D052256:Tendinopathy / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D014463:Ultrasonography; D054798:Volleyball / Q000293:injuries* / Q000502:physiology*