Affiliations: [a] Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, 125 Nashua Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA | [b] Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA | [c] Division of Rehabilitation Medicine, Newton Wellesley Hospital, 2014 Washington Street, Newton, MA 02462, USA
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: Joanne Borg-Stein, MD, Spaulding-Wellesley Neighborhood Center, 65 Walnut Street, Wellesley, MA 02482, USA. Tel.: +1 781 431 9144; Fax: +1 781 431 9152; E-mail: jborgstein@partners.org
Abstract: Anterior chest wall pain resulting from an athletic injury has a broad differential diagnosis including muscular strain, partial or complete pectoralis tear, avulsion of the pectoralis tendon, rotator cuff injury and referred pain. Rupture of the pectoralis major muscle is rare, except among bodybuilders, in whom this lesion has been well described. As a result of injury to the pectoralis muscles, the medial and lateral pectoral nerves may be injured as well, causing atrophy, asymmetry and weakness. We present a case of chronic pectoral pain in a twenty-five year-old male four years following his initial injury secondary to a 370 pound bench-press. Both MRI and electrodiagnostic testing were used in order to diagnose medial pectoral nerve injury. The patient was conservatively managed, with a favorable outcome.
