Teenage tennis players who train intensively may develop abnormalities of the lumbar-spine, according to a recent study. Because tennis requires forceful and quick repetitive motions and rotation of the spine, incremental damage to the lower spine may occur.

The researchers studied 33 elite teenage tennis players who were asymptomatic. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans revealed injuries in 85% of the group. In the group that showed injuries the MRI revealed synovial cysts, disk degeneration or herniation, fractures or stress reaction, and facet joint arthropathy. Most of the injuries in the group occurred at L4/L5 and L5/S1 disks.

The researchers suggest that the increasing speed of the ball, the temptation for elite players to underreport symptoms, and the types of serves that place increasing rotational force on the facet joint contribute to long-term injuries. Recommendations include modifying training techniques to prevent the injuries.

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