Shoulder PainNCT05950360
Thoracic Spine and Shoulder Kinematics and Muscle Activation in Rock Climbers With Shoulder Pain
An observational study of Shoulder Pain and Shoulder Impingement Syndrome, run by National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University at 1 site in Taiwan.
Trial summary
Background and Purpose: Rock climbing has been a popular sport in recent years. Rock climbing includes various open-chain and closed-chain arm movements. Overhead reaching and pull-up are the basic rock climbing elements heavily involving upper extremities. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 40 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Shoulder Pain, Shoulder Impingement Syndrome
- What is being tested?
- Electromagnetic tracking system, surface electromyography
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- How many people
- 37 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTaiwan
- Study dates
- 11 Nov 2023to 13 Nov 2024
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 40 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Study population: Rock climbers with and without shoulder pain
Who may be able to join
- Ages ranges from 18-40 years old
- At least one year of experience of sport climbing
- Sport Climbing frequency ≥ 6 hours per week in the last one month
- Shoulder pain ≥ 1 month
- Minimum of 3/10 on the numerical rating scale (NRS) in the last one month
- Inclusion Criteria of Healthy Subjects in the control group:
Show all 21Show fewer
- Ages ranges from 18-40 years old
- Gender, age, dominant hand and experience matching to shoulder pain climbers group
- At least one year of experience of sport climbing
- Sport Climbing at least 6 hours per week in the last one month
- No history of shoulder pain in the last six months
- Exclusion Criteria of Patients with Shoulder Pain and All Healthy Subjects
- History of upper limb surgery or fracture
- History of shoulder dislocation
- History of neck pain, back pain, or elbow injuries in the last one year
- Wrist or finger pain during sport climbing > 3/10 on the numerical rating scale (NRS)
- Shoulder pain during pull-up > shoulder pain during sport climbing
- Intensive exercise within 12 hours or any delay onset muscle soreness
- Systemic autoimmune disease
- Cancer
- Pregnancy
Who cannot join
None listed.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Kinematics and Muscle Activation of Thoracic Spine and Shoulder in Rock Climbers With Shoulder Pain
Background and Purpose: Rock climbing has been a popular sport in recent years. Rock climbing includes various open-chain and closed-chain arm movements. Overhead reaching and pull-up are the basic rock climbing elements heavily involving upper extremities. Different inclination of the wall and terrain also demand sufficient range of motion and strength of the trunk. Generally overhead reaching and arm elevation may have similar shoulder kinematics, including scapular upward rotation, posterior tilt and external rotation. Arm elevation usually is accompanied with thoracic extension and unilateral lateral flexion and rotation. During pull-up, the scapula rotates downward and externally and tilts anterior. The prevalence of shoulder injuries are about 17%, the second most common among rock climbing injuries. In the shoulder injuries, shoulder labrum lesions and shoulder impingement are the most common. Previous studies have shown that individuals with shoulder impingement syndrome have shown decreased upward and externally rotation during arm elevation, and have limited thoracic extension range of motion and greater kyphotic posture. However, a previous study found no difference in the scapular kinematics and scapular muscle activation during pull-up in rock climbers with shoulder pain and healthy climbers. The non-significant finding may be due to that the pure pull-up may not mimic climbing tasks, in which the shoulder and trunk need to adapt different inclination of the wall. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the kinematics and muscle activation of the thoracic spine and shoulder in rock climbers with shoulder pain during climbing tasks with different reaching angles. Methods: Thirty sport climbers with shoulder pain and 30 healthy climbers matched with gender, age, and dominant hand will be recruited in this study. Testing tasks will include arm elevation in the scapular plane, overhead reaching to the target 15° backward to the frontal plane, pull-up with overhead reaching forward and backward. Thoracic and shoulder kinematics will be collected using an electromagnetic tracking system. The upper trapezius, lower trapezius, serratus anterior, latissimus dorsi, and erector spinae were collected with surface electromyography (EMG). A two-way mixed ANOVA will be used to determine differences between groups in the kinematics and EMG measures at the different arm elevation angles for the testing tasks.
- Conditions
- Shoulder Pain, Shoulder Impingement Syndrome
- Being tested
- Electromagnetic tracking system, surface electromyography
- Keywords
- Rock climbers, Shoulder pain, Shoulder impingement syndrome, Thoracic mobility, Thoracic kinematics
- Medical subject headings
- Shoulder Pain, Shoulder Impingement Syndrome
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Electromagnetic tracking system, surface electromyographyDevice
arm elevation in the scapular plane, overhead reaching to the target 15° backward to the frontal plane, pull-up with overhead reaching forward and backward.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| rock climbers (healthy group) | Climbers without shoulder pain Receives: Device: Electromagnetic tracking system, surface electromyography | |
| rock climbers (shoulder pain group) | Climbers with shoulder pain Receives: Device: Electromagnetic tracking system, surface electromyography |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Shoulder kinematics during arm elevation
Scapular kinematics, including anterior/posterior tilt, upward/downward rotation, and internal/external rotation in scapular plane elevation at 30°, 60°, 90°, and 120°, and will be described with degree (°).
Measured: Immediately during the experiment
Thoracic kinematics during arm elevation
Thoracic kinematics, including flexion, extension, side flexion and rotation in arm elevation at 30°, 60°, 90°, and 120°, and will be described with degree (°).
Measured: Immediately during the experiment
Shoulder kinematics during pull-up with overhead reaching forward and backward
Scapular kinematics, including anterior/posterior tilt, upward/downward rotation, and internal/external rotation, and will be described with degree (°).
Measured: Immediately during the experiment
Thoracic kinematics during pull-up with overhead reaching forward and backward
Thoracic kinematics, including flexion, extension, side flexion and rotation
Measured: Immediately during the experiment
Scapular muscles activation during arm elevation
The root mean square of electromyography (EMG) data of the upper trapezius, lower trapezius, serratus anterior, and latissimus dorsi will be normalized by the maximum voluntary contraction amplitude (percentage of maximal voluntary contraction, %) and calculated over three 30° increments of motion during arm elevation from 30° to 120°, including 30° - 60°, 60° - 90°, and 90° - 120°.
Measured: Immediately during the experiment
Trunk muscle activation during arm elevation
The root mean square of electromyography (EMG) data of the erector spinae will be normalized by the maximum voluntary contraction amplitude (percentage of maximal voluntary contraction, %) and calculated over three 30° increments of motion during arm elevation from 30° to 120°, including 30° - 60°, 60° - 90°, and 90° - 120°.
Measured: Immediately during the experiment
Scapular muscles activation during pull-up with overhead reaching forward and backward
The root mean square of electromyography (EMG) data of the upper trapezius, lower trapezius, serratus anterior, and latissimus dorsi will be normalized by the maximum voluntary contraction amplitude (percentage of maximal voluntary contraction, %)
Measured: Immediately during the experiment
Trunk muscle activation during overhead reaching forward and backward.
The root mean square of electromyography (EMG) data of the erector spinae will be normalized by the maximum voluntary contraction amplitude (percentage of maximal voluntary contraction, %)
Measured: Immediately during the experiment
Secondary outcomes (5)
Thoracic mobility
Range of motion of thoracic spine, described with degree (°).
Measured: Immediately during the experiment
Thoracic kyphosis angle
measured by inclinometers, described with degree (°).
Measured: Immediately during the experiment
Muscle length of pectoralis major
In a supine position with hands behind the head. A positive (+) indicates muscle tightness, when the elbows cannot touch the testing surface.
Measured: Immediately during the experiment
Muscle length of pectoralis minor
In a supine position, the distance between acromion and testing surface, described with cm.
Measured: Immediately during the experiment
Muscle length of latissimus dorsi
shoulder flexion range of motion in a hook-lying position, described with degree (°)
Measured: Immediately during the experiment
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted18 Jul 2023
- Study start11 Nov 2023
- Primary completion28 Aug 2024
- Study completion13 Nov 2024
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Shoulder PainStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by National Yang Ming Chiao Tung UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Enrolment
- 37 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Yin-Liang Lin, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
- Investigators
- YIN-LIANG LIN, Principal investigator, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05950360
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- NYCU112095AE
- Status last verified
- May 2025
- First submitted
- 11 Jul 2023
- Last updated
- 22 May 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 22 May 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Kinematics and Muscle Activation of Thoracic Spine and Shoulder in Rock Climbers With Shoulder Pain
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05950360
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- NYCU112095AE
- Conditions
- Shoulder Pain, Shoulder Impingement Syndrome
- Keywords
- Rock climbers, Shoulder pain, Shoulder impingement syndrome, Thoracic mobility, Thoracic kinematics
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 37 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- National Yang Ming Chiao Tung UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 11 Nov 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 28 Aug 2024 (actual)
- Study completion
- 13 Nov 2024 (actual)
- First posted
- 18 Jul 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Background and Purpose: Rock climbing has been a popular sport in recent years. Rock climbing includes various open-chain and closed-chain arm movements. Overhead reaching and pull-up are the basic rock climbing elements heavily involving upper extremities. Different inclination of the wall and terrain also demand sufficient range of motion and strength of the trunk. Generally overhead reaching and arm elevation may have similar shoulder kinematics, including scapular upward rotation, posterior tilt and external rotation. Arm elevation usually is accompanied with thoracic extension and unilateral lateral flexion and rotation. During pull-up, the scapula rotates downward and externally and tilts anterior. The prevalence of shoulder injuries are about 17%, the second most common among rock climbing injuries. In the shoulder injuries, shoulder labrum lesions and shoulder impingement are the most common. Previous studies have shown that individuals with shoulder impingement syndrome have shown decreased upward and externally rotation during arm elevation, and have limited thoracic extension range of motion and greater kyphotic posture. However, a previous study found no difference in the scapular kinematics and scapular muscle activation during pull-up in rock climbers with shoulder pain and healthy climbers. The non-significant finding may be due to that the pure pull-up may not mimic climbing tasks, in which the shoulder and trunk need to adapt different inclination of the wall. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the kinematics and muscle activation of the thoracic spine and shoulder in rock climbers with shoulder pain during climbing tasks with different reaching angles. Methods: Thirty sport climbers with shoulder pain and 30 healthy climbers matched with gender, age, and dominant hand will be recruited in this study. Testing tasks will include arm elevation in the scapular plane, overhead reaching to the target 15° backward to the frontal plane, pull-up with overhead reaching forward and backward. Thoracic and shoulder kinematics will be collected using an electromagnetic tracking system. The upper trapezius, lower trapezius, serratus anterior, latissimus dorsi, and erector spinae were collected with surface electromyography (EMG). A two-way mixed ANOVA will be used to determine differences between groups in the kinematics and EMG measures at the different arm elevation angles for the testing tasks.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| rock climbers (healthy group) | – | Device: Electromagnetic tracking system, surface electromyographyClimbers without shoulder pain |
| rock climbers (shoulder pain group) | – | Device: Electromagnetic tracking system, surface electromyographyClimbers with shoulder pain |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 40 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
- Study population
- Rock climbers with and without shoulder pain
Key inclusion criteria (21 listed)
- Ages ranges from 18-40 years old
- At least one year of experience of sport climbing
- Sport Climbing frequency ≥ 6 hours per week in the last one month
- Shoulder pain ≥ 1 month
- Minimum of 3/10 on the numerical rating scale (NRS) in the last one month
Key exclusion criteria (0 listed)
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Electromagnetic tracking system, surface electromyographyarm elevation in the scapular plane, overhead reaching to the target 15° backward to the frontal plane, pull-up with overhead reaching forward and backward. | Device | rock climbers (healthy group), rock climbers (shoulder pain group) |
Primary outcome
Shoulder kinematics during arm elevation
Time frame: Immediately during the experiment
Scapular kinematics, including anterior/posterior tilt, upward/downward rotation, and internal/external rotation in scapular plane elevation at 30°, 60°, 90°, and 120°, and will be described with degree (°).
Thoracic kinematics during arm elevation
Time frame: Immediately during the experiment
Thoracic kinematics, including flexion, extension, side flexion and rotation in arm elevation at 30°, 60°, 90°, and 120°, and will be described with degree (°).
Shoulder kinematics during pull-up with overhead reaching forward and backward
Time frame: Immediately during the experiment
Scapular kinematics, including anterior/posterior tilt, upward/downward rotation, and internal/external rotation, and will be described with degree (°).
Thoracic kinematics during pull-up with overhead reaching forward and backward
Time frame: Immediately during the experiment
Thoracic kinematics, including flexion, extension, side flexion and rotation
Scapular muscles activation during arm elevation
Time frame: Immediately during the experiment
The root mean square of electromyography (EMG) data of the upper trapezius, lower trapezius, serratus anterior, and latissimus dorsi will be normalized by the maximum voluntary contraction amplitude (percentage of maximal voluntary contraction, %) and calculated over three 30° increments of motion during arm elevation from 30° to 120°, including 30° - 60°, 60° - 90°, and 90° - 120°.
Trunk muscle activation during arm elevation
Time frame: Immediately during the experiment
The root mean square of electromyography (EMG) data of the erector spinae will be normalized by the maximum voluntary contraction amplitude (percentage of maximal voluntary contraction, %) and calculated over three 30° increments of motion during arm elevation from 30° to 120°, including 30° - 60°, 60° - 90°, and 90° - 120°.
Scapular muscles activation during pull-up with overhead reaching forward and backward
Time frame: Immediately during the experiment
The root mean square of electromyography (EMG) data of the upper trapezius, lower trapezius, serratus anterior, and latissimus dorsi will be normalized by the maximum voluntary contraction amplitude (percentage of maximal voluntary contraction, %)
Trunk muscle activation during overhead reaching forward and backward.
Time frame: Immediately during the experiment
The root mean square of electromyography (EMG) data of the erector spinae will be normalized by the maximum voluntary contraction amplitude (percentage of maximal voluntary contraction, %)
5 secondary outcomes
Thoracic mobility
Time frame: Immediately during the experiment
Thoracic kyphosis angle
Time frame: Immediately during the experiment
Muscle length of pectoralis major
Time frame: Immediately during the experiment
Muscle length of pectoralis minor
Time frame: Immediately during the experiment
Muscle length of latissimus dorsi
Time frame: Immediately during the experiment
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 22 May 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
YIN-LIANG LIN principal investigator
National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Shoulder Pain and Shoulder Impingement Syndrome, run by National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University at 1 site in Taiwan.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 21 inclusion and 0 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 22 May 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Taiwan. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Shoulder kinematics during arm elevation (time frame: Immediately during the experiment). The study lists 8 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 22 May 2025.