Mohamed Ridha
A Survey of Injuries and Improper
Throwing Biomechanics in Baseball
Pitchers
SchoolWestlake High School • Westlake, Ohio
ProgramScience Internship
MentorTammy Owings, DEng
Department
Biomedical Engineering/Sports Health & Orthopaedic
Rehabilitation, Cleveland Clinic
- Research
- A Survey of Injuries and Improper Throwing Biomechanics in Baseball Pitchers
- Hypothesis
- This study investigated how improper biomechanics in young baseball pitchers may lead to injuries. The hypothesis is that pitchers with elbow and shoulder injuries exhibit kinematic differences in passive range of motion and pitching mechanics.
- Methodology
- The first study investigated the passive range of motion in young, male baseball pitchers, while the second study examined the biomechanics of the throwing arm during a fastball pitch. For the first study, passive range of motion of elbow flexion and shoulder internal/external rotation of the dominant and non-dominant arm was measured with a goniometer by a physical therapist. For the second study, kinematic data were collected by a 3-dimensional motion analysis system using reflective markers placed at specific anatomical landmarks. Maximum shoulder internal/external rotation, shoulder external rotation at foot contact, and elbow flexion at foot contact were computed, and comparisons made between uninjured and injured pitchers.
- Outcomes
- The results suggest that injury may be caused because pitchers externally rotate their shoulder outside of their passive range of motion zone, placing excessive strain on the involved muscles, ligaments, and tendons. By having the shoulder more externally rotated at foot contact, additional stress is placed on the elbow, contributing to injury.
Interpretations
Biomechanical Oxidation by Creighton Gibbons
Shoulder of a Champion by Jonathan Hooper
Anatomical Man by Luke Graber
