Correlates With History of Injury in Youth and Adolescent Pitchers

Arthroscopy. 2015 Jul;31(7):1349-57. doi: 10.1016/j.arthro.2015.03.017. Epub 2015 May 5.

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the factors within pitcher demographic characteristics, pitching history, and pitch kinematics, including velocity, that correlate with a history of pitching-related injury.

Methods: Demographic and kinematic data were collected on healthy youth and adolescent pitchers aged 9 to 22 years in preseason training during a single preseason using dual orthogonal high-speed video analysis. Pitchers who threw sidearm and those who had transitioned to another position were excluded. Players were asked whether they had ever had a pitching-related shoulder or elbow injury. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed on those variables that correlated with a history of injury.

Results: Four hundred twenty pitchers were included, of whom 31% had a history of a pitching-related injury. Participant height (P = .009, R(2) = 0.023), pitching for more than 1 team (P = .019, R(2) = 0.018), and pitch velocity (P = .006, R(2) = 0.194) served as independent correlates of injury status. A model constructed with these 3 variables could correctly predict 77% of injury histories. Within our cohort, the presence of a 10-inch increase in height was associated with an increase in a history of injury by 20% and a 10-mph increase in velocity was associated with an increase in the likelihood of a history of injury by 12%. Playing for more than 1 team increased the likelihood of a history of injury by 22%.

Conclusions: Pitch velocity, pitcher height, and pitching for more than 1 team correlate with a history of shoulder and elbow injury. Current recommendations regarding breaking pitches may not prevent injury. Pitchers should be cautioned about pitching for more than 1 team. Taller pitchers and high-velocity pitchers may be at risk of injury.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Baseball / injuries*
  • Baseball / physiology
  • Biomechanical Phenomena
  • Body Height
  • Child
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Elbow / physiopathology
  • Elbow Injuries*
  • Humans
  • Risk Factors
  • Rotation
  • Shoulder / physiopathology
  • Shoulder Injuries*
  • Time Factors
  • Young Adult