TY - JOUR PY - 2015// TI - Correlates with history of injury in youth and adolescent pitchers JO - Arthroscopy A1 - Chalmers, Peter N. A1 - Sgroi, Terrance A1 - Riff, Andrew J. A1 - Lesniak, Matthew A1 - Sayegh, Eli T. A1 - Verma, Nikhil N. A1 - Cole, Brian J. A1 - Romeo, Anthony A. SP - 1349 EP - 1357 VL - 31 IS - 7 N2 - 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.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0749-8063 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.arthro.2015.03.017 ID - ref1 ER -