Ten-year follow-up of suprascapular nerve decompression in a competitive volleyball player: a case report

We present a case of 10-year follow-up in a 27-year-old female collegiate volleyball athlete with continued infraspinatus atrophy confirmed on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) despite compliance with physical therapy and rehabilitation following open suprascapular nerve (SSN) decompression. She successfully returned to sport post-operatively; however, at 10 year follow-up, had continued weakness and pain, without evidence of nerve injury on EMG. This is the first known report of 10-year follow-up in an athlete who underwent open SSN decompression without evidence of an associated spinoglenoid ganglion cyst with persistent right infraspinatus atrophy on MRI and clinical shoulder weakness without new injury.