Vascular pathology in the upper extremity of a throwing athlete comprises a
spectrum of serious disorders apt to threaten the patient's career and the
viability of the involved parts. Such pathology includes digital vessel th
rombosis, proximal thrombosis with distal embolization, vessel aneurysm, an
d vessel compression, such as in thoracic outlet syndrome and quadrilateral
space syndrome. This article provides a description of vascular disorders
prone to result from sports activities and a review of published data relev
ant to throwing athletes. Recognition of vascular compromise as a cause for
dead arm syndrome or painful digital dysfunction among athletes is essenti
al to prevent the grave consequences of progressive ischemia.