**2. Injury**

### **2.1. Pectoral strains**

A strained pectoral muscle is actually a slight tear in the chest muscles named pectoral muscles and these two muscles are located at the front of the chest. One is the largest (pectoralis major) and originates from the sternum, ribs and collar bone and goes to the upper part of the humerus and the smallest is the pectoralis minor that finish in the front of the shoulder blade.

© 2013 Arroyo; licensee InTech. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2013 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

An injury happens when the muscle is stretched too far and the pain can be felt at the same moment or in some cases latter during the cooling down phase after the exercise and sometimes the pain radiates to the upper arm or neck [2].

Another way to make the diagnosis is to ask the athlete that with the arms extended try to get together the hands and you put your fist between the hands for not allow him to do it (fig. 2)

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**Figure 2.** With both arms straighten at front ask the patient to put their hand together against resistance

shoulder.When we flex the elbow most of this movement is done by the biceps.

of a bruise over the affected area, depending on the severity.

at the level of the elbow more often require surgical repair [3].

**2.2. Biceps strains**

To assess the severity of the injury an Ultrasound, CT scan or MRI scan may be required.

The biceps is located in the front of the upper arm and it is attached to the elbow and the

Symptoms of a biceps strain include sudden and severe pain at the front of the shoulder and also the athlete can experience swelling, deformity of the muscle and loss of strength, presence

In the physical evaluation with the elbow straighten palpate all along the biceps (fig. 3) ask the patient to flex the elbow with the palm up and tell him not to let you push it toward the floor (fig. 4) an ultrasound study is very useful to assess the severity of the injury because some tears

Diagnosis.- During the physical examination some patients show an obvious swelling and bruising area that is tender under digital palpation and others just have pain when you ask them to move the arms backwards, (Fig. 1) in some others you can ask them to try to do a push up and the patients refers pain over the affected area.

**Figure 1.** With the arm in lateral extension ask the patient to move forward against resistance

Another way to make the diagnosis is to ask the athlete that with the arms extended try to get together the hands and you put your fist between the hands for not allow him to do it (fig. 2)

**Figure 2.** With both arms straighten at front ask the patient to put their hand together against resistance

To assess the severity of the injury an Ultrasound, CT scan or MRI scan may be required.

#### **2.2. Biceps strains**

An injury happens when the muscle is stretched too far and the pain can be felt at the same moment or in some cases latter during the cooling down phase after the exercise and sometimes

Diagnosis.- During the physical examination some patients show an obvious swelling and bruising area that is tender under digital palpation and others just have pain when you ask them to move the arms backwards, (Fig. 1) in some others you can ask them to try to do a push

the pain radiates to the upper arm or neck [2].

136 Muscle Injuries in Sport Medicine

up and the patients refers pain over the affected area.

**Figure 1.** With the arm in lateral extension ask the patient to move forward against resistance

The biceps is located in the front of the upper arm and it is attached to the elbow and the shoulder.When we flex the elbow most of this movement is done by the biceps.

Symptoms of a biceps strain include sudden and severe pain at the front of the shoulder and also the athlete can experience swelling, deformity of the muscle and loss of strength, presence of a bruise over the affected area, depending on the severity.

In the physical evaluation with the elbow straighten palpate all along the biceps (fig. 3) ask the patient to flex the elbow with the palm up and tell him not to let you push it toward the floor (fig. 4) an ultrasound study is very useful to assess the severity of the injury because some tears at the level of the elbow more often require surgical repair [3].

**3. Triceps strains**

bruising and loss of strength.

The triceps muscle is located in the back side of the upper arm and its main action is straight‐ ening the elbow. A triceps strain can be a simple overstretch to a partial or complete tear. This

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When this occurred the symptoms are pain, stiffness, tenderness, edema, in some cases

During the physical examination the patient refers pain over the area and the palpation can be done with the elbow in flexion to relax the muscle (fig. 5), also if we ask the athlete to straighten the elbow with the palm down against resistance (fig. 6). Some patients require

pathology may result from overusing or in a single boost of force.

surgical treatment depends on the site and the severity of the injury. [4]

**Figure 5.** With the elbow flex at 90° palpate the triceps all along

**Figure 3.** With the elbow flex at 90° palpate the biceps all along

**Figure 4.** A With the elbow flex at 90° ask the patient to flex it against resistance
