Athletic Injuries of the Thoracic Cage.

A variety of sports require exposure to high-impact trauma or characteristic repetitive movements that predispose to injuries around the thorax. Appropriate prognostication and timely management are vital, as untreated or undertreated injuries can lead to pain, disability, loss of playing time, or early termination of sports participation. The authors review common athletic injuries of the thoracic cage, encompassing muscular, osseous, and vascular conditions, with an emphasis on mechanism, imaging features, and management. The authors also review pertinent soft-tissue and bony anatomy, along with relevant sports biomechanics. Generalized muscle trauma and more specific injuries involving the pectoralis major, latissimus dorsi, teres major, pectoralis minor, lateral abdominal wall and intercostals, serratus anterior, and rectus abdominis muscles are discussed. Osseous injuries such as stress fractures, sternoclavicular dislocation, costochondral fractures, and scapular fractures are included. Finally, thoracic conditions such as snapping scapula, thoracic outlet syndrome, and Paget-Schroetter syndrome are also described. Specific MRI protocols are highlighted to address imaging challenges such as the variable anatomic orientation of thoracic structures and artifact from breathing motion. Athletes are susceptible to a wide range of musculoskeletal thoracic trauma. An accurate imaging diagnosis of thoracic cage injury and assessment of injury severity allow development of an adequate treatment plan. This can be facilitated by an understanding of functional anatomy, sports biomechanics, and the unique injuries for which athletes are at risk. ©RSNA, 2021.