Dr Ben Kibler: Clinical assessment of the tennis player with a focus on the shoulder

In part 1 of two podcasts, Dr Ben Kibler, international shoulder authority, shares top tips on examination and diagnosis of the tennis player. (Part 2 will focus on baseball pitchers) Dr Ben Kibler, orthopaedic surgeon and medical director of Lexington Clinic in Kentucky is a world expert on management of shoulder injuries with a particular focus on the role of the scapula (scapular dyskinesis). He has held regular ‘scapular summit’ meetings of experts in his hometown of Lexington, Kentucky, USA. The most recent summary of that meeting can be read here: http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/47/14/877 In this podcast, we discuss: •Briefly how Dr Kibler, a surgeon, learned about biomechanics •Examination of the tennis player’s shoulder including how to perform a biomechanical analysis •Simple tests to recognize abnormal asymmetry in the tennis player •Diagnosis of injury in tennis players; search for culprit (the real cause) – don’t just incriminate the victim •The rise in the double-handed backhand in tennis and how it has increased the incidence of ulnar wrist injuries •Role of communication within the multidisciplinary team: how much should the physician know about the biomechanics? •Two tests commonly used to assess shoulder function – the Scapular Assistance Test (SAT) and the Scapular Retraction Test (SRT).

Remember to keep an eye out for Part 2 – management of the overhead throwing athlete. You can meet with Dr Kibler in person at the AMSSM annual conference. May 9-13, 2017, San Diego. It’s a prime spot on the sports medicine calendar. https://www.amssm.org/Content/pdf%20files/BROCHURES/2017_Annual_Meeting.pdf