Stress Fractures of the First Rib Related to Soft Tennis, Associated with the Tennis Ground Stroke

Open Access J Sports Med. 2023 Dec 27;14:99-102. doi: 10.2147/OAJSM.S447674. eCollection 2023.

ABSTRACT

Stress fractures of the first rib are uncommon and thought to be associated with overhead-throwing athletes. Soft tennis is similar to regular tennis but uses a much softer rubber ball. In the current report, a 14-year-old girl suffered from shoulder girdle pain, especially at the end of her tennis ground stroke. Plain radiographs showed overgrowth of bone with a fracture line on the first rib, and a diagnosis of stress fracture was made. She was advised to amend her stroke form to reduce force to the shoulder and was able to continue sports activity without pain 10 months after the appearance of her symptoms and before confirmation of bone healing. The current case is not associated with overhead-throwing, but possibly with repetitive exercises of her tennis ground strokes. Conservative medical follow-up with proper sport-specific professional advice allows continuation of the sport.

PMID:38162145 | PMC:PMC10757769 | DOI:10.2147/OAJSM.S447674