Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

A group of researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, have identified that male high school athletes in the United States are more likely than girls to suffer shoulder injuries, according to The Washington Post. The study focused on football, soccer, volleyball, basketball, wrestling, baseball and softball and found that shoulder injuries did not happen frequently, but when they did occur, a disproportionate number of shoulder injuries happened to high school boys than high school girls.

The study analyzed data from the 2005-2007 National High School Sports Injury Surveillance System and showed that shoulder injuries made up 18 percent of all injuries caused during both baseball and wrestling, and 12 percent of injuries caused during football. The report identified that shoulder injuries were three times more likely to occur during competition.

Overall, six percent of shoulder injuries required surgery. The sport that caused more surgeries to shoulders was wrestling. When shoulder surgeries are performed, they most often require the use of a pain pump to deliver medication directly to the surgical site for post operative pain management.

However, these post-operative pain pumps, also known as intra-articular pain pumps, can cause severe problems in some patients. Many patients who have used pain pumps have suffered from Postarthroscopic Glenohumeral Chondrolysis, (PAGCL) a painful condition that occurs in the shoulder when the cartilage between the ball and socket of the shoulder breaks down causing the bones to rub against each other.

Individuals who have used a pain pump to manage pain following shoulder surgery – or any other joint-related surgery – should consult their physician if they experience continued pain; weakness; clicking, popping or grinding; or decreased range of motion.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 18th, 2009 at 5:29 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.