Elbow joint active replication in college pitchers following simulated game throwing: an exploratory study

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Biomechanics
• Orthopedics

Background:

• Elbow injuries are prevalent in collegiate baseball pitchers.
• Pitching imposes significant stress and fatigue on the elbow joint.
• Diminished joint proprioception can lead to abnormal joint loading and injury.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of a simulated 3-inning pitching sequence on elbow joint active replication sense in collegiate pitchers.
• To determine if pitching fatigue alters the ability to sense and reproduce elbow joint positions.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 17 collegiate pitchers.
• Active elbow range of motion was measured goniometrically.
• Joint position sense was assessed by having pitchers actively reproduce passively positioned elbow angles (20%, 35%, 50%, 80%) before and after a simulated 3-inning pitching session.

Main Results:

• No significant changes in active joint position sense were observed in the non-dominant elbow.
• The dominant elbow demonstrated significant deficits in active joint position sense after the simulated pitching sequence.
• These significant differences were noted particularly at the 35% and 80% joint position angles (P < .05).

Conclusions:

• Three innings of pitching can compromise active elbow joint replication sense.
• Altered joint position sense following pitching may elevate the risk of elbow injuries in baseball players.
• Pitching activities may lead to a loss of active elbow joint replication, highlighting a potential mechanism for injury.