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Updated: Jan 30, 2026

Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty
Published on: July 5, 2011
Sacroiliac Stretching Improves Glenohumeral Internal Rotation Deficit of the Opposite Shoulder in Baseball Players in
Victor Romano1, Joseph Romano1, Gregory E Gilbert1
1Romano Orthopaedics Center, Oak Park, IL (Dr. V. Romano), the Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL (Dr. J. Romano), the Learning Sciences, Adtalem Global Education, Downers Grove, IL (Dr. Gilbert), and the Center for Teaching and Learning, Ross University School of Medicine, Roseau, Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies (Dr. Gilbert).
Introduction:
Glenohumeral internal rotation deficit (GIRD) is a well-documented finding in throwing athletes.
Purpose:
To investigate whether stretching the contralateral sacroiliac (SI) joint can improve GIRD in baseball players.
Method:
After internal shoulder rotation was measured in 23 minor league baseball players, the players randomly were assigned to either a control (ie, sleeper stretch of the dominant shoulder) or experimental (ie, SI joint stretch contralateral to the dominant shoulder) group. Afterward, internal rotation (IR) of their dominant shoulders was remeasured.
Results:
The mean initial end-range IR was 68.6° (SD = 7.9°) in the sleeper stretch group (n = 8) and 64.5° (SD = 5.1°) in the SI joint stretch group (n = 15). After stretching, the sleeper stretch group's mean end-range IR was 72.1° (SD = 7.2°), a 3.5° improvement (P = 0.1058), whereas the contralateral SI joint stretch group's mean end-range IR was 71.9° (SD = 6.6°), a 7.4° improvement (P = 0.0041).
Conclusions:
Stretching the contralateral SI joint improved GIRD more than the sleeper's stretch.
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