Objective: The scapula plays a very important role as a link between the trunk and the arm transferring the force and the stability. Some authors have reported that scapular dyskinesis represents a risk for shoulder and neck pain. But no author is interested in the relationship between scapular dyskinesis and arm or forearm pathologies. The purpose of this study was to investigate the presence of scapular dyskinesis in a population of patients with epicondylitis. Method: We performed an observational study of 37 patients with lateral epicondylitis evolving for at least 6 months and resistive to conservative treatment. We excluded patients with known pathology of the shoulder. We observed scapular kinematics according to Kibler classification. We also noted the associated signs of scapular dyskinesis: the decrease in internal rotation, pain of the pectoralis minor, and contracture of the upper portion of the trapezius. Results: Twenty-six patients (70.3%) presented scapular dyskinesis. This was 14 type 1 and 12 type 2 according to Kibler classification. The internal rotation of the pathologic side was 40.5° (0°-90°) and 65.1° (30°-90°) in the healthy side (P = 4,04.10-7). Twenty-eight patients (75.7%) had a painful contraction of the pectoralis minor and 24 patients (64.9%) had pain of the upper portion of the trapezius. Conclusion: We thus find a correlation between scapular dyskinesis and the lateral epicondylitis confirming that dyskinesia may lead to a breakage on the kinetic chain and also decompensate pathologies of the arm and forearm due to a pronated position of the arm and the forearm.
