Fatigue Contributing Factor in Kid’s Pitching Injuries
New research from Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush has found that fatigue can affect pitching mechanics and potentially result in injuries.
“Our study simulated a 90-pitch game for 28 elite, adolescent pitchers and we investigated how their shoulder and elbow motions affected pitching speed, accuracy, pain, and pitching mechanics. As expected, the boys became progressively more fatigued and painful with additional pitches. We also found that their pitching mechanics changed, which may ultimately contribute to injury,” said Charles Bush-Joseph, M.D., medical director of Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush, in the March 5, 2016 news release.
Asked how the players pitching mechanics changed, Nikhil Verma, M.D., sports medicine physician, Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush, told OTW, “As adolescent pitchers became more fatigued, they lost the proper timing of sequential rotation of the hips and then the shoulders. The core musculature thus lost the ability to contribute to pitch velocity. We hypothesize that this change occurs because the core and leg musculature fatigues before the upper extremity and thus core kinematics change before upper extremity kinematics as adolescent pitchers fatigue. We thus hypothesize that core and leg strengthening may be key adjuvants to prevent fatigue and potentially prevent injury in youth pitchers.”
Complete Release: Fatigue Contributing Factor in Kid’s Pitching Injuries
