Forearm Injury in a Female Collegiate Rower: Case Study

Forearm Injury in a Female Collegiate Rower: Case Study

The topic of this project is to examine a forearm injury sustained by a female collegiate rower. The final diagnosis, based on MRI and X-ray testing, was Left Forearm Pain with a Grade I Flexor Carpi Ulnaris Strain, though initial signs and symptoms led the sports medicine team to suspect more serious injuries. The athlete received conservative treatment and rehabilitation exercises were initiated, aimed at restoring full strength and function. The certified athletic trainer and athletic training student observed a “mass” over the anterior forearm during the initial evaluation. The defect was more prominent with wrist and finger flexion; however, the athlete did not present with ecchymosis or swelling in the area. During visual inspection, the presence of bilateral bowing of the forearms proximal to the wrist was noted. Differential diagnosis included spasm of the flexor digitorum profundus and flexor group, strain of the pronator teres, strain of the flexor digitorum superficialis and rupture of the flexor digitorum profundus. A unique predisposing factor to the initial impression of a rupture was the presence of Madelung-like deformity of the left forearm which caused the muscles angle of pull to be altered. This could have caused the athlete to have some weakness of the musculature increasing the likelihood of injury. The deformity of the forearm caused the mild, localized swelling of the Flexor Carpi Ulnaris strain to present as a “herniation-like” mass through the forearm fascia. The goal of this study is to examine this case in full, with emphasis placed on literature regarding Madelung and Madelung-like deformity.