Scintigraphic Patterns of Injury in Amateur Weight Lifters

• Published in: Clinical nuclear medicine 1999-12, Vol.24 (12), p.915-915
• Main Authors: VAN DER WALL, HANS, McLAUGHLIN, ANDREW, BRUCE, WARWICK, FRATER, CLAYTON J, KANNANGARA, SIRI, MURRAY, I PROVAN C
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acromioclavicular Joint - diagnostic imaging; Acromioclavicular Joint - injuries; Adolescent; Adult; Arthrography; Arthroscopy; Biological and medical sciences; Bone Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Clavicle - diagnostic imaging; Female; Fractures, Stress - diagnostic imaging; Humans; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Joint Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Joint Dislocations - diagnostic imaging; Male; Medical sciences; Muscle, Skeletal - diagnostic imaging; Muscle, Skeletal - injuries; Osteoarticular system. Muscles; Osteolysis - diagnostic imaging; Radionuclide Imaging; Radionuclide investigations; Rotator Cuff - diagnostic imaging; Rotator Cuff Injuries; Shoulder Joint - diagnostic imaging; Shoulder Joint - injuries; Spondylolysis - diagnostic imaging; Steroids - therapeutic use; Tendinopathy - diagnostic imaging; Treatment Outcome; Weight Lifting - injuries
• ISSN: 0363-9762; 1536-0229
• DOI: 10.1097/00003072-199912000-00001

PURPOSEWeight lifting is now a standard part of training in most sports. An increasing number of amateur athletes are doing strength training, mostly in unsupervised situations. A series of injuries in amateur weight lifters was analyzed by bone scintigraphy, with the aim of depicting specific patterns that would accurately identify the primary lesions. METHODSTwelve patients (10 men and 2 women) were studied whose ages ranged from 18 to 35 years. Patients were referred for bone scintigraphy with clinical diagnoses based on history, physical examination, and appropriate radiologic investigations. Diagnoses were confirmed by surgery, arthroscopy, arthrography, local steroid injection, and outcome. RESULTSMost of the injuries were in athletes undertaking free-weight training. Most injuries were in the upper limbs, particularly around the shoulder. Scintigraphic patterns of supraspinatus and bicipital tendons and also rotator cuff lesions were identified. Clavicular osteolysis, avulsion injuries, muscle damage, and vertebral lesions were also noted. Several abnormalities revealed by scintigraphy were clinically unsuspected. CONCLUSIONSScintigraphic manifestations of several injuries, particularly around the shoulder, have a specific pattern. Recognition of these patterns can enhance the performance of bone scintigraphy. Scintigraphy also has the potential to detect clinically unsuspected disease.