Biomechanics of the Shoulder in Youth Baseball Pitchers

Sabick, Michelle B.; Kim, Young Kyu; Torry, Michael R.; Keirns, Michael A.; Hawkins, Richard J.

doi:10.1177/0363546505275347

Cited by 204 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…All statistical procedures were performed using SPSS V. 22. Baseline characteristics, measured as continuous variables, were expressed as mean and SD.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High prevalence of self-reported injuries and illnesses in talented female athletes

Richardson

Clarsen

Verhagen

et al. 2017

BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med

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BackgroundA thorough knowledge of the epidemiology and severity of injuries and illness in youth female elite sports is lacking due to the methodological challenges involved in recording them. In this study, the prevalence and incidence of injuries and illness are assessed among youth female elite athletes. Instead of solely focusing on time-loss injuries, our study included all substantial and non-substantial health problems (ie, injuries, mental problems and illnesses).MethodsSixty young elite Dutch female athletes (age: 16.6 years (SD: 2.3), weight: 58.3 kg (SD: 15.1), height: 154.1 cm (SD: 44.2)) participating in soccer (n=23), basketball (n=22) and gymnastic (n=15) talent development programmes were prospectively followed during one season (September 2014 to April 2015). To collect health problem data, all athletes completed the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Questionnaire on Health Problems every other week. Main outcome measures were average prevalence of injury and incidence density of injury.ResultsAt any given time, 47.9% of the athletes reported an injury (95% CI 43.6% to 52.6%) and 9.1% reported an illness (95% CI 5.1 to 19.0). The average injury incidence density was 8.6 per 1000 hours of athlete exposure. The average number of self-reported injuries per athlete per season was significantly higher in soccer athletes (4.3±2.7) than in basketball athletes (2.6±2.0) (p=0.03) and not significantly higher than in the gymnastic squad. The knee and the ankle were two of the most common injury locations for all squads. Knee injuries in basketball and soccer and heel injuries in the gymnastic squad had the highest impact on sports participation.ConclusionHigh prevalence of self-reported injuries among talented female athletes suggests that future efforts towards their prevention are warranted.

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“…All statistical procedures were performed using SPSS V. 22. Baseline characteristics, measured as continuous variables, were expressed as mean and SD.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High prevalence of self-reported injuries and illnesses in talented female athletes

Richardson

Clarsen

Verhagen

et al. 2017

BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med

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“…This greater angle of rotation suggests that this group may be generating a larger valgus torque across their elbow, 1,19,20 which is a risk factor for medial elbow pain and injury. 2,12 Increased strength, along with age and experience, are causes of greater external rotation, which would lead to greater valgus torque.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Elbow Biomechanics of Pitching

Fehr

Damrow

Kilian

et al. 2016

Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach

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Background:Elbow pain and elbow injuries are common in youth baseball players. It is not clear whether pitching experience and/or age creates biomechanical differences at the elbow and whether these differences place an athlete at greater risk.Hypotheses:(1) Youth pitchers will have differing elbow kinematics with regard to flexion/extension, internal/external rotation, and pronation/supination when compared with nonbaseball athletes and (2) younger youth pitchers will have differing elbow kinematics when compared with older youth pitchers.Study Design:Case-control study.Level of Evidence:Level 4.Methods:Twenty-seven healthy male youths age 10 to 18 years were recruited and divided into an experience group (n = 18 pitchers) and a no experience group (n = 9 nonbaseball athletes). The experience group was subdivided by age into the younger experience subgroup (n = 10 pitchers) and the older experience subgroup (n = 8 pitchers). Biomechanics were recorded using an electromagnetic motion tracking system. Subjects from each group were averaged together, and a Mann-Whitney U test was utilized for statistical analysis.Results:The experience group had greater external rotation during late cocking (−47.8° vs 5.8°) and greater flexion during early cocking (112.8° vs 100.1°). The younger experience subgroup had greater range of motion with supination-pronation during early cocking (21.9° vs 11.2°) and late cocking (5.9° vs 2.0°).Conclusion:Youth athletes with pitching experience had an increase in maximal external rotation in late cocking and maximal flexion in early cocking, which suggests experience may be a factor to these parameters. The age of experienced baseball pitchers may be a factor due to differences observed with supination and pronation.Clinical Relevance:Learning to throw is a skill that leads to changes in elbow motion; however, these changes may be stable once athletes reach grade school age. Minimal differences were noted between the younger and older experience subgroups, which may underscore the importance of teaching proper mechanics at a young age.

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“…3 Baseball-style pitching causes significant torsional stress on the proximal humerus during the midmaximal external rotation phase, just before the transition from late cocking to acceleration. [4][5][6] High distraction force is generated during the late ball release phase, from late acceleration into deceleration of the throwing arm. Bone and cartilage are more tolerant to tensile force as compared with torque, so it is believed that the torsional stress of baseball pitching contributes more significantly to the development of little leaguer's shoulder.…”

Section: Pathophysiologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Bone and cartilage are more tolerant to tensile force as compared with torque, so it is believed that the torsional stress of baseball pitching contributes more significantly to the development of little leaguer's shoulder. 5,6 In contrast to baseball pitching, windmill-style softball pitching does not cause the same degree of torsional force on the proximal humerus, so these athletes are at less risk for little leaguer's shoulder.…”

Section: Pathophysiologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Little Leaguer’s Shoulder

Frick

Hilgers

2015

International Journal of Athletic Therapy and Training

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A 14-year-old right-handed male baseball pitcher comes to you complaining of right shoulder pain for several weeks. He recalls no injury to his shoulder but instead complains of slowly worsening pain with throwing. Between travel and now high school baseball, which just recently resumed, he often finds himself pitching in multiple games per week. As you examine the athlete, you discover tenderness to palpation over the lateral aspect of his right shoulder.

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Biomechanics of the Shoulder in Youth Baseball Pitchers

Abstract: The motion of throwing fastballs by youth baseball pitchers results in force components consistent with proposed mechanisms for 2 clinical entities.

Cited by 204 publications

References 35 publications

High prevalence of self-reported injuries and illnesses in talented female athletes

High prevalence of self-reported injuries and illnesses in talented female athletes

Elbow Biomechanics of Pitching

Little Leaguer’s Shoulder

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