[Shoulder injuries in golf].

BACKGROUND: Due to its growing popularity golf has now come into the focus of orthopedic sports medicine. With a wide range of age groups and playing levels, orthopedic surgeons will encounter a wide range of musculoskeletal problems which are usually the result of overuse rather than trauma.

ANATOMY: The shoulder joint plays an important role in the golf swing whereby not only the muscles around the glenohumeral joint but also the scapula stabilizing muscles are extremely important for an effective golf swing.

INJURY PATTERNS: Golf is strictly not considered to be an overhead sport; however, the extreme peak positions of the golf swing involve placing the shoulder joint in maximum abduction and adduction positions which can provoke impingement, lesions of the pulley system or even a special form of posterior shoulder instability.

PERSPECTIVES: Even after complex shoulder operations, such as rotator cuff repair or shoulder arthroplasty, a return to the golf course at nearly the same level of play can be expected.