Original articleValgus torque in youth baseball pitchers: a biomechanical study
Section snippets
Data collection
Two high-speed video cameras were used to videotape fourteen 12-year-old youth baseball pitchers at 120 frames per second. All subjects were male, right hand–dominant baseball pitchers. The Regis University Institutional Review Board (Denver, CO) approved the study protocol. The procedures were explained to the subjects and their parents, who provided informed consent. The subjects pitched from an indoor pitching mound to a catcher situated at a regulation distance (14 m) from the mound. The
Results
The mean age for the 14 subjects was 12.1 ± 0.4 years, with a range of 11.4 to 12.6 years. The mean subject height was 1.54 m (range, 1.42-1.68 m), and the mean mass was 44.3 kg (range, 36.6-67.1 kg). The mean pitch velocity was 48.2 mph, or 21.6 m/s. Shoulder abduction remained near 90° through the pitching cycle, averaging 95° ± 7° at SFC, 92° ± 8° at MER, and 94° ± 8° at REL. Shoulder horizontal flexion-extension (or horizontal abduction-adduction) progressed from a position of extension to
Discussion
The biomechanics of the upper extremity while throwing have been well documented in adults.13, 15, 19, 21, 33, 36, 38 Surprisingly, there are considerably fewer data describing the biomechanics of youth pitchers, even though there are a large number active in sports and they have a significant incidence of injury, especially at the elbow.31, 40 A significant portion of these elbow injuries have been attributed to elbow valgus torque generated during throwing.31 This study used established
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank to Michael Keirns, Mike Decker, Tim Cook, Jon Kedrowski, and the Regis University Physical Therapy students for help with data collection and analysis, as well as Elif Patterson for her help with the artwork.
References (43)
- et al.
Osteochondral injuries. Clinical findings
Clin Sports Med
(2001) - et al.
Osteochondritis dissecans of the humeral capitellum. Diagnosis and treatment
Clin Sports Med
(2001) - et al.
Kinematic and kinetic comparison of baseball pitching among various levels of development
J Biomech
(1999) Adjustments to the segment center of mass proportions of Clauser et al. (1969)
J Biomech
(1990)- et al.
Upper extremity injuries in young athletes
Clin Sports Med
(1995) - et al.
Throwing injuries of the elbow
Clin Sports Med
(1986) - et al.
Persistence of the olecranon physisa cause of “little league elbow”
J Shoulder Elbow Surg
(1995) - et al.
Osteochondritis dissecans of the elbow
Clin Sports Med
(2001) - Abdel-Aziz Y, Karara H. Direct linear transformation from computer coordination into object coordinates in close-range...
Injury to the throwing arm
Calif Med
(1965)
Clinical study of baseball pitcherscorrelation of injury to the throwing arm with method of delivery
Am J Sports Med
Bony injuries about the elbow in the throwing athlete
Instr Course Lect
Articular injuries in the athlete
Little Leaguer's elbow
AJR Am J Roentgenol
Weight, volume, and center of mass of segments of the human body
Medial instability of the elbow in throwing athletes. Treatment by repair or reconstruction of the ulnar collateral ligament
J Bone Joint Surg Am
Pediatric throwing injuries about the elbow
Am J Orthop
Biomechanics of pitching with emphasis upon shoulder kinematics
J Orthop Sports Phys Ther
Kinematic comparisons of throwing different types of baseball pitches
J Appl Biomech
Dynamics of the shoulder and elbow joints of the throwing arm during a baseball pitch
Int J Sport Biomech
Cited by (138)
Elbow valgus stress during towel drills in college baseball players
2024, Journal of Shoulder and Elbow SurgeryRisk factors of throwing injuries related to pitching mechanics in young baseball players: a longitudinal cohort study
2023, Journal of Shoulder and Elbow SurgeryIncreased Medial Elbow Torque Is Associated With Ball Velocity Rather Than a History of Medial Elbow Injuries in Youth Baseball Pitchers
2023, Arthroscopy - Journal of Arthroscopic and Related SurgeryCitation Excerpt :Furthermore, a hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed to examine the association between the medial elbow torque and the history of medial elbow injury as well as other pitching parameters. In the first step, age, height, and weight were analyzed to examine the influence of covariates on the medial elbow torque (model 1) because these values correlated with an increase in the medial elbow torque.24,25 In the second step, the history of medial elbow injury was added to the model (model 2).
Clinical shoulder measurements related to joint loads in collegiate pitchers
2023, JSES Reviews, Reports, and TechniquesProfessional Baseball Pitchers Drafted at a Younger Age Pitch More Innings During Their Professional Baseball Careers Than Pitchers Drafted at an Older Age
2022, Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine, and RehabilitationMachine learning and statistical prediction of fastball velocity with biomechanical predictors
2022, Journal of Biomechanics
- 1
Dr Sabick is currently affiliated with the Biomechanics Research Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boise State University, Boise, ID, USA