Differences in Scapular Upward Rotation between Baseball Pitchers and Position Players

Laudner, Kevin G.; Stanek, Justin M.; Meister, Keith

doi:10.1249/01.mss.0000274874.47379.50

Cited by 10 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…7,17 The UCL is the primary stabilizer against valgus stress at the elbow, 8,13 and disruption of this ligament can lead to instability during the late cocking phase of the throwing motion. 7,12 It has been reported that the number of UCL reconstructions in high school baseball players has risen dramatically, due in part to the year-round opportunities for competition and training. 17 The etiology of UCL injury is likely multifactorial.…”

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confidence: 99%

Baseball Players Diagnosed With Ulnar Collateral Ligament Tears Demonstrate Decreased Balance Compared to Healthy Controls

Garrison¹,

Arnold²,

Macko³

et al. 2013

Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy

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Study Design Cross-sectional. Objectives To compare lower extremity balance and shoulder range of motion in baseball players with ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) tears to a healthy cohort. Background Throwing is a complex motion that requires balance and coordination to effectively transfer energy through the kinetic chain. In theory, poorer balance could negatively affect throwing mechanics and lead to injury. Methods Thirty baseball players (mean ± SD age, 18.5 ± 1.9 years) with a diagnosis of a UCL tear of their throwing arm were compared to 30 players (age, 19.0 ± 1.1 years) without a UCL tear. All participants were competing at either the high school or collegiate level and reported an average ± SD of 13.5 ± 1.7 years of playing experience. The Y Balance Test composite scores were calculated for the stance and lead lower extremities of all players. Shoulder range of motion was used to calculate glenohumeral internal rotation deficit and side-to-side differences in total rotational motion. Group comparisons were made between participants with and without UCL tears using independent t tests. Results Baseball players with UCL tears scored significantly lower on the Y Balance Test for both the stance (P<.001) and lead (P<.001) lower extremities compared to the noninjured cohort. No between-group differences were noted in glenohumeral internal rotation deficit (P = .453), whereas the mean ± SD side-to-side difference in total rotational motion was −6.0° ± 9.6° for the injured group, compared to −0.4° ± 9.6° for the control group (P = .028). Conclusion Participants with a UCL tear demonstrated decreased performance for their stance and lead lower extremities during the Y Balance Test. These data are consistent with a clinical hypothesis of a potential association between impaired balance and UCL tears in high school and collegiate baseball players. The lower total rotational motion of the dominant shoulder in participants with UCL tears needs to be considered in the interpretation of those results. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2013;43(10):752–758. Epub 9 September 2013. doi:10.2519/jospt.2013.4680

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confidence: 99%

Baseball Players Diagnosed With Ulnar Collateral Ligament Tears Demonstrate Decreased Balance Compared to Healthy Controls

Garrison¹,

Arnold²,

Macko³

et al. 2013

Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy

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“…Bilateral scapular internal rotation and anterior tilt asymmetries have also been found at the resting position in healthy individuals participating in an overhead sport (Oyama et al, 2008). A previous study investigated pitchers and non-pitchers and determined pitchers to have less upward rotation at 60°and 90°compared to position players (Laudner et al, 2007). This may explain the lower mean upward rotation measurements at the higher angles of humeral elevation in the study by Downar and Sauers (2005), since most of the participants in their study were pitchers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 80%

Reliability and validity of measuring scapular upward rotation using an electrical inclinometer

Tucker¹,

Ingram²

2012

Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology

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“…Several studies have identified alterations in scapular movement in healthy uninjured overhead athletes [10,13,15]. Myers et al [13] measured increased scapular upward rotation, internal rotation, and retraction in throwing athletes on their dominant throwing extremity as compared with a control group of nonthrowers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Myers et al [13] measured increased scapular upward rotation, internal rotation, and retraction in throwing athletes on their dominant throwing extremity as compared with a control group of nonthrowers. Laudner et al [10] tested baseball pitchers and position players and found the pitchers had less scapular upward rotation on their dominant arm at 60°and 90°of scapular plane elevation compared with position players. This decrease in upward rotation may compromise the acromiohumeral interval during overhead motion and increase injury risk in individuals in this population.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additionally, overhead athletes often present with subtle scapular dysfunction, not gross disassociation of the scapula away from the thorax as is seen in patients with nerve injury and other conditions [6,7,19]. Use of a classification system to evaluate subtle scapular dysfunction has been advocated and requires study on this population of overhead athletes who present with subtle scapular movement deviations in laboratory studies [5,9,10,13,15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Reliability of Scapular Classification in Examination of Professional Baseball Players

Ellenbecker¹,

Kibler

Bailie

et al. 2012

Clinical Orthopaedics &Amp; Related Research

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Background Clinically evaluating the scapulothoracic joint is challenging. To identify scapular dyskinesis, clinicians typically observe scapular motion and congruence during self-directed upper extremity movements. However, it is unclear whether this method is reliable. Questions/purposes We therefore determined the interrater reliability of a scapular classification system in the examination of professional baseball players. Methods Seventy-one healthy uninjured professional baseball players between the ages of 18 and 32 years volunteered to participate. We used a digital video camera to film five repetitions of scapular plane elevation while holding a 2-pound weight. Four examiners then independently classified the motions on video into one of four types. Interrater reliability analysis using the kappa (k) statistic was performed for: (1) classifying each scapula into one of the four types; (2) classifying each scapula as being abnormal (Types I-III) or normal (Type IV); and (3) classifying both scapula as both being symmetric (both normal or both abnormal) or asymmetric (one normal, one abnormal). Results We found low reliability for all analyses. In classifying each scapula as one of the four types, reliability was k = 0.245 for the left limb and k = 0.186 for the right limb. When considering the dichotomous classifications (abnormal versus normal), reliability was k = 0.264 for left and k = 0.157 for right. For bilateral symmetry/asymmetric, reliability was k = 0.084. Conclusion We found low reliability of visual observation and classification of scapular movement. Clinical RelevanceCurrent evaluation strategies for evaluating subtle scapular abnormalities are limited.

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Differences in Scapular Upward Rotation between Baseball Pitchers and Position Players

Cited by 10 publications

References 39 publications

Baseball Players Diagnosed With Ulnar Collateral Ligament Tears Demonstrate Decreased Balance Compared to Healthy Controls

Baseball Players Diagnosed With Ulnar Collateral Ligament Tears Demonstrate Decreased Balance Compared to Healthy Controls

Reliability and validity of measuring scapular upward rotation using an electrical inclinometer

Reliability of Scapular Classification in Examination of Professional Baseball Players

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