HOME HELP CONTACT US SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:
Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Rovere, G. D. Articles by Nichols, A. W. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Rovere, G. D. Articles by Nichols, A. W.

Frequency, associated factors, and treatment of breaststroker's knee in competitive swimmers

Section on Orthopedic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Andrew W. Nichols, MD

Section on Orthopedic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Thirty-six competitive breaststroke swimmers were in terviewed and examined for knee pain specifically re lated to the breaststroke kick. Eighty-six percent of the subjects had a history of at least one episode of breast stroke knee pain, while 47.2% had breaststroke knee pain that occurred at least once a week. There was a significant relationship between more frequent knee pain and increasing swimmer's age, increasing years of competitive swimming, increasing breaststroke train ing distance, and decreasing warm-up distance. The subjects with frequent knee pain were found to have less internal rotation at the hip joint.

The most common site of breaststroke knee pain was the medial portion of the knee, with specific sites differing among the individuals. The medial synovial plica syndrome may be a cause of breaststroke knee pain, since 47% of subjects with weekly knee pain had tender, thickened medial plicae. Palpation of those pli cae produced pain similar to that experienced with the breaststroke kick.

The findings in this study suggest that reducing or eliminating breaststroke training distance should be an initial measure in treatment. Applications of ice, changes in kick technique, stretching exercises to in crease hip rotation, and administration of aspirin may also be effective. The breaststroke training distance should be increased very gradually in the early season, and warm-up distance should be adequate to help prevent the symptoms of breaststroker's knee.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				W. C. McMaster Anterior glenoid labrum damage: A painful lesion in swimmers Am. J. Sports Med., September 1, 1986; 14(5): 383 - 387. [Abstract] [PDF]