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Biomechanical study of the pitching elbow.
International Orthopaedics
|January 1, 1979
Summary
Pitching style impacts elbow loading, with breaking pitches potentially increasing medial stress. Accelerometers effectively measure pitching mechanics, revealing that throwing volume and ball velocity are key injury factors.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Biomechanics
- Orthopedic Surgery
Background:
- Medial elbow injuries in pitchers are common, often linked to extreme valgus stress during acceleration.
- Breaking pitches may increase medial elbow loading due to forearm rotation for spin impartation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To correlate elbow joint loading with different pitching styles.
- To investigate the biomechanical factors contributing to elbow injuries in baseball pitchers.
Main Methods:
- Utilized accelerometers on the forearm and hand to measure axial and tangential acceleration.
- Employed electromyography (EMG) to assess muscle activity.
- Assessed forearm rotation using stroboscopic photography.
Main Results:
- Pitching styles, particularly for breaking pitches, showed similar patterns of muscle activity and acceleration despite varied delivery techniques.
- Deceleration forces were found to be lower than acceleration forces.
- Forearm pronation and supination were confirmed to influence ball spin direction.
Conclusions:
- Accelerometers are a viable tool for evaluating pitching mechanics and elbow loading.
- The primary contributors to elbow injury in pitchers appear to be the volume of throwing and the velocity of the thrown ball.