Most every activity in any sport requires the body to do something is wasn’t meant to do, at least not repeatedly. For instance, the repeated act of lifting the arm high is something your shoulder wasn’t designed to do, yet sports like tennis, golf, football, basketball, even swimming require it. Add to that motion a sudden force, as with a tennis serve or throwing a football, and it is a recipe for injuries.

That’s why many athletes experience injuries ranging from muscle strains to rotator cuff tears. However, these injuries are sometimes misdiagnosed. One of the most common of these is an injury to the spinoglenoid ligament.

The spinoglenoid ligament stretches from the spine into the shoulder, traveling through a bony structure called the spinoglenoid notch. According to Dr. Kevin Plancher, founder of the Orthopedic Foundation for Active Lifestyles (OFALS), this ligament is the culprit of some shoulder injuries, often misdiagnosed as an injury to the rotator cuff. The ligament runs through the back of the shoulder, often constricting suprascapular nerve - one of the major nerves in the shoulder that delivers sensation and messaging to the two main tendons of the rotator cuff. “The spinoglenoid ligament can compress the [suprascapular] nerve, similar to carpal tunnel in the hand, leading to marked weakness and pain that mimics the symptoms of rotator cuff injury,” Dr. Plancher said.

The existence of the ligament has only recently been confirmed. In a recent OFALS study, Dr. Plancher and his team of researchers were able to confirm its existence in each cadaver they examined.

When an athlete is experiencing shoulder pain, an MRI can tell a physician whether or not the suprascapular nerve is compressed. If this is the problem, physical therapy can alleviate the pain, but isn’t effective long-term.

Until recently, the typical treatment for nerve compression in the shoulder was to stop playing tennis all together and undergo months of intense, targeted physical therapy. In most cases, those undergoing treatment were unable to return to the court. However, Dr. Plancher announced a new approach in 2007.

Using arthroscopic surgery, the ligament is detached at the shoulder, and removed from its position overlying the suprascapular nerve. With this procedure, patients experience much faster pain relief and increased strength in the shoulder, and can often recover well enough to get back to tennis with a brief course of physical therapy, which strengthens the surrounding muscles, tendons, and ligaments.

If you suspect that you have a shoulder or spinoglenoid ligament injury, it is critical to seek the urgent consultation of a local sports injuries doctor for appropriate care. To locate a top doctor or physical therapist in your area, please visit our Find a Sports Medicine Doctor or Physical Therapist Near You section.

Read about sports injury treatment using the P.R.I.C.E. principle - Protection, Rest, Icing, Compression, Elevation.