Background: Os acromiale is a rare condition mostly reported in the literature through case reports, imaging studies, or reports of surgical treatment. This condition is the result of nonunion of growth plates of the acromion during the natural developmental process that occurs between 15 and 25 years of age. Its incidence is low, and few studies are available in the literature on athletes with high functional demands, and particularly on athletes within a specific sport.
Purpose: To collect epidemiological data and to report the amount of time out of play as well as the type of treatment and its efficiency in professional tennis players.
Study design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4.
Methods: We performed a retrospective study using the medical data of athletes within our national tennis league who complained about their shoulder between 2011 and 2016. Nine professional tennis players (mean age, 20 years) with painful shoulders were diagnosed with os acromiale; 3 of them played at an international level, with the other 6 playing at a national level. The diagnosis was confirmed using radiography, including the axillary view, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). One female player had associated subacromial bursitis.
Results: All cases of os acromiale were classified as involving the mesoacromion, following the Lieberson classification. No patient underwent surgery, and no patient was treated with local or subacromial infiltration. Patients stopped competition and training throughout the rehabilitation period. All patients received medical treatment with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), ice, and physical therapy with a specific rehabilitation program. All athletes returned to their former level of play after a mean of 37 days. No patient suffered from recurrent pain. One patient underwent MRI after 2 years, showing a normal bone signal and complete healing of the acromion.
Conclusion: Conservative treatment including NSAIDs, rest, ice, and physical therapy allowed for good recovery and return to the former level of play. Surgical treatment is usually not indicated for os acromiale in the professional tennis player.
Keywords: athletes; conservative treatment; os acromiale; shoulder; tennis.