The shoulder is the most flexible joint in the human body. It can be moved in all directions and can also perform combination movements. This high degree of mobility is made possible by the fact that the head of humerus is very large in relation to the joint socket and protrudes beyond its edges.
This ratio can quickly cause the head of humerus to slip out of the socket (dislocation), or it can cause the head to slide too far in one direction during rapid, jerky movements. To prevent this, the shoulder joint is surrounded by many muscles and ligaments that provide stability. During extreme movements, they become tense and block further movement in this direction. But if a movement is performed with so much momentum that the ligaments cannot withstand this tension, the ligaments stretch, or in the more extreme case, the ligaments tear. A ligament elongation is therefore also called a first degree ligament injury.
Causes
Ligament stretching can occur during sports as well as during everyday activities. Ligament stretching in the shoulder is caused by a movement that is performed beyond the natural range of motion. This is often the case with unplanned, uncontrolled movements, such as those often performed during sports.
But also a support during a fall with unfavorable force effects on the shoulder joint can lead to an overstretching of the ligaments. Often the arm is turned unnaturally and the shoulder joint is therefore incorrectly loaded. In addition, a blow or kick against the shoulder can cause the ligaments to stretch.
Symptoms
The first sign of ligament stretching in the shoulder is pain in the joint. This is followed by a swelling of the shoulder. The pain that occurs is particularly strong when the joint is moved or loaded.
This results in a reduced development of strength and a loss of function of the shoulder or arm. Compared to a torn ligament, both the pain and the swelling of the joint are less pronounced. Bruises (haematomas) are also usually absent when the ligament is stretched. This is because stretching the ligament does not damage the ligaments or the surrounding tissue, and therefore there is no bleeding.
Diagnosis of ligament extension of the shoulder
If acute pain occurs in the shoulder area, a doctor should be consulted. If this pain occurs after a jerky movement and is possibly associated with swelling of the joint, these are the first indications of damage to the ligamentous apparatus. Nevertheless, it is important, especially after falls, to rule out damage to the bones. The doctor then distinguishes by palpation and functional tests whether a ligament is stretched or torn. Since functional tests often do not provide clear results, a magnetic resonance tomography of the shoulder (MRI of the shoulder) is necessary in case of doubt in order to recognize on the images whether the ligament is torn or not.
