Functional assessment of the shoulder in jiu-jitsu black belt athletes

Objective: To assess the epidemiological profile of Jiu-Jitsu black belt athletes, including the prevalence of pain and shoulder function. Methods: Cross-sectional study carried out with Jiu-Jitsu athletes from 2014 to 2016. The studied variables were: sex, age, dominant limb, weight, height, profession, time of Jiu-Jitsu practice, weekly training hours, other practiced sports, comorbidities, injuries and previous surgeries, medications and habits. For the functional assessment of the shoulder, the ASES Score was used. Results: 53 male athletes were evaluated. There was a prevalence of alcohol consumption (60.4%) and supplement use (32.1%). The practice of other sports included weight training (49.1%) and other martial arts (17%). There was a prevalence of knee (66.0%) and shoulder (52.8%) injuries and, in some cases, the need for surgical procedures. There was a prevalence of shoulder pain (73.6%) and more than half of the athletes (52.9%) had minimal or moderate limitation of shoulder function. Conclusion: Jiu-jitsu black belt athletes often have a history of injuries, with the shoulder being the second most affected body part. In more than half of the athletes, there was a prevalence of shoulder pain and functional limitation, according to the ASES Score. Level of evidence III, Retrospective comparative study.