Length and elevation of the clavicle and scapular dyskinesis in asymptomatic individuals

Abstract

There is evidence that decreased length of the clavicle can change the scapular kinematics, leading to increased internal rotation and anterior tilt and decreased upward rotation of the scapula. Furthermore, clavicular shortening may also be associated with increased elevation of the clavicle. These changes can contribute to the scapular dyskinesis and injuries in the shoulder complex. However, no studies were found analyzing those variables by methods focused on clinical practice in vivo, which could contribute to the evaluation and treatment of clavicular shortening. Aim: To verify the existence of a possible correlation between the length of the clavicle and clavicular elevation, and between the length of the clavicle and the presence of scapular dyskinesis in asymptomatic individuals for shoulder pain and also to evalute the length and elevation of the clavicle between the dominant and non-dominant side and to analyze the between-rater reliability for these measures. Methods: 50 healthy adults ( 25-50 years) of both genders, with no history of shoulder and cervical pathologies will participate in the study. The clavicular length will be assessed with a caliper, the clavicular elevation with a digital inclinometer and the scapular dyskinesis by clinical observation of the scapular movements. The evaluations will be conducted by two physical therapists. The statistical analysis will depend on the normality of the data, which will be evaluated using the Shapiro - Wilk test, with a significance level of 5 % .