Single-blind RCT in 32 young male overhead athletes with subacromial impingement plus scapular dyskinesis. It compared scapular dyskinesis-based exercise therapy (SDBET) against passive multimodal physical therapy (ultrasound, manual therapy, ROM). Both ran 8 weeks with a 4-week follow-up, asking which approach produces durable improvement in disability, pain, ROM, strength, and scapular motion.
When you see an overhead athlete with impingement, look for the scapular dyskinesis driving it. In this population impingement is usually secondary, caused by faulty scapular mechanics and stabilizer weakness, not a bone spur.
That is why the treatment choice matters. Passive multimodal therapy (ultrasound, manual therapy, ROM) relieved pain faster at 8 weeks, but the benefit evaporated once treatment ended because it never fixed the underlying kinematics or strength deficit.
The targeted exercise program restored serratus anterior and lower/middle trapezius strength, normalized scapular motion to Type IV in 43.8%, and held gains through follow-up. Practically: use Kibler's SDT to type the dyskinesis, then match stabilization to the deficit. Remember MCID for SPADI is 14.1–20.6 points when judging whether a change is real.
The main caveat is external validity: 32 young males, single center, only 4 weeks of follow-up.
Single-blind RCT in 32 young male overhead athletes with subacromial impingement plus scapular dyskinesis. It compared scapular dyskinesis-based exercise therapy (SDBET) against passive multimodal physical therapy (ultrasound, manual therapy, ROM). Both ran 8 weeks with a 4-week follow-up, asking which approach produces durable improvement in disability, pain, ROM, strength, and scapular motion.
When you see an overhead athlete with impingement, look for the scapular dyskinesis driving it. In this population impingement is usually secondary, caused by faulty scapular mechanics and stabilizer weakness, not a bone spur.
That is why the treatment choice matters. Passive multimodal therapy (ultrasound, manual therapy, ROM) relieved pain faster at 8 weeks, but the benefit evaporated once treatment ended because it never fixed the underlying kinematics or strength deficit.
The targeted exercise program restored serratus anterior and lower/middle trapezius strength, normalized scapular motion to Type IV in 43.8%, and held gains through follow-up. Practically: use Kibler's SDT to type the dyskinesis, then match stabilization to the deficit. Remember MCID for SPADI is 14.1–20.6 points when judging whether a change is real.
The main caveat is external validity: 32 young males, single center, only 4 weeks of follow-up.