Evaluation of Hip Characteristics in Baseball and Softball Athletes with and Without Throwing Arm Pain

Abstract

During throwing, the lower extremity assists in the generation and transfer of momentum. Lower extremity stability assists in this transfer by providing a base for distal mobility of the arm segments. This study aimed to determine differences between hip rotational range of motion and strength based on the presence of throwing-arm pain (yes/no) and throwing sport (baseball/softball). We hypothesized those experiencing pain would display decreases in hip range of motion and strength, and that softball players would display greater range of motion than baseball, but less strength based on sex-specific characteristics. Forty-four baseball (13±2 years, 165.2±13.0 cm, 58.5±13.4 kg) and 50 softball players (13±2 years, 160.9±11.2 cm, 62.7±17.9 kg) participated. Multivariate analysis of variance tests (2×2) determined differences in bilateral hip range of motion, total arc of motion, and strength between pain status and sport. There were no significant interactions (>0.05) for pain status and sport on hip range of motion, total arc of motion, and strength. Furthermore, no significant main effects (>0.05) were found for pain status or sport alone on range of motion or strength. Future work should be directed at explaining the effects of hip characteristics on the throwing motion and how it equates to throwing-arm health.

Key words

arm health - injury prevention - range of motion - strength

Publikationsverlauf

Eingereicht: 21. Mai 2023

Angenommen: 09. September 2023

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
27. Oktober 2023

• References

• 1 Yang JS, Stepan JG, D’voracek L. et al. Fast-pitch softball pitchers experience a significant increase in pain and fatigue during a single high school season. HSS J 2016; 12: 111-118
• 2 Lyman S, Fleisig GS, Andrews JR. et al. Effect of pitch type, pitch count, and pitching mechanics on risk of elbow and shoulder pain in youth baseball pitchers. Am J Sports Med 2002; 30: 463-468
• 3 Dowling B, McNally MP, Chaudhari AM. et al. A review of workload-monitoring considerations for baseball pitchers. J Athl Train 2020; 55: 911-917
• 4 Keeley DW, Oliver GD, Dougherty CP. A biomechanical model correlating shoulder kinetics to pain in young baseball pitchers. J Human Kinet 2012; 34: 15-20
• 5 Oliver GD, Friesen K, Barfield J. et al. Association of upper extremity pain with softball pitching kinematics and kinetics. Orthop J Sports Med 2019; 7
• 6 Nakase K, Shitara H, Tajika T. et al. The relationship between dynamic balance ability and shoulder pain in high school baseball pitchers. Sports Health 2022; 14: 397-403
• 7 Tajika T, Oya N, Kuboi T. et al. Risk factors for throwing-related shoulder and elbow pain in adolescent baseball players: A prospective study of physical and developmental factors. Orthop J Sports Med 2021; 9 23259671211017129
• 8 Fleisig GS, Barrentine SW, Zheng N. et al. Kinematic and kinetic comparison of baseball pitching among various levels of development. J Biomech 1999; 32: 1371-1375
• 9 Davis JT, Limpisvasti O, Fluhme D. et al. The effect of pitching biomechanics on the upper extremity in youth and adolescent baseball pitchers. Am J Sports Med 2009; 37: 1484-1491
• 10 Albiero ML, Kokott W, Dziuk C. et al. Hip flexibility and pitching biomechanics in adolescent baseball pitchers. J Athl Train 2022; 57: 704-710
• 11 Sekiguchi T, Hagiwara Y, Yabe Y. et al. Restriction in the hip internal rotation of the stride leg is associated with elbow and shoulder pain in elite young baseball players. J Shoulder Elbow Surg 2020; 29: 139-145
• 12 Saito M, Kenmoku T, Kameyama K. et al. Relationship between tightness of the hip joint and elbow pain in adolescent baseball players. Orthop J Sports Med 2014; 2: 2325967114532424
• 13 Hamano N, Shitara H, Tajika T. et al. Relationship between upper limb injuries and hip range of motion and strength in high school baseball pitchers. J Orthop Surg 2021; 29
• 14 Garrison JC, Hannon J, Conway JE. No differences in hip range of motion exists between baseball players with an ulnar collateral ligament tear and healthy baseball players. Int J Sports Phys Ther 2019; 14: 920-926
• 15 Kim Y, Jo Y, Kim S. et al. Shoulder pain and rotational range of motion of the trunk, shoulder, and hip in baseball players. J Athl Train 2019; 54: 1149-1155
• 16 Robb AJ, Fleisig G, Wilk K. et al. Passive ranges of motion of the hips and their relationship with pitching biomechanics and ball velocity in professional baseball pitchers. Am J Sports Med 2010; 38: 2487-2493
• 17 Plummer H, Bordelon N, Wasserberger KW. et al. Association between passive hip range of motion and pitching kinematics in high school baseball pitchers. Int J Sports Phys Ther 2021; 16: 1323-1329
• 18 Gilmer GG, Washington JK, Dugas J. et al. The role of lumbopelvic-hip complex stability in softball throwing mechanics. J Sport Rehab 2019; 28: 196-204
• 19 Oliver GD, Wasserberger KW, de Swart A. et al. Hip range of motion and strength and energy flow during windmill softball pitching. J Athl Train 2021; 56: 280-285
• 20 Oliver GD, Plummer H, Brambeck A. Hip and glenohumeral passive range of motion in collegiate softball players. Int J Sports Phys Ther 2016; 11: 738-745
• 21 West AM, Scarborough DM, McInnis KC. et al. Strength and motion in the shoulder, elbow, and hip in softball windmill pitchers. PM & R 2019; 11: 1302-1311
• 22 Friesen K, Downs JL, Wasserberger KW. et al. Glenohumeral and hip range of motion in youth softball athletes. Int J Sports Med 2020; 41: 59-64
• 23 Oliver GD, Gilmer GG, Friesen K. et al. Functional differences in softball pitchers with and without upper extremity pain. J Sci Med Sport 2019; 22: 1079-1083
• 24 Harding JL, Picha KJ, Bliven KCH. Pitch volume and glenohumeral and hip motion and strength in youth baseball pitchers. J Athl Train 2018; 53: 60-65
• 25 Zeppieri G, Lentz TA, Moser MW. et al. Changes in hip range of motion and strength in collegiate baseball pitchers over the course of a competitive season: A pilot study. Int J Sports Phys Ther 2015; 10: 505-513
• 26 Albiero ML, Kokott W, Dziuk C. et al. Relationships between hip strength and pitching biomechanics in adolescent baseball pitchers. J Athl Train 2022;
• 27 Luera MJ, Dowling B, Magrini MA. et al. Role of rotational kinematics in minimizing elbow varus torques for professional versus high school pitchers. Orthop J Sports Med 2018; 6: 2325967118760780
• 28 Burkhart SS, Morgan CD, Kibler WB. The disabled throwing shoulder: spectrum of pathology Part I: Pathoanatomy and biomechanics. Arthroscopy 2003; 19: 404-420
• 29 Chaudhari AM, McKenzie CS, Pan X. et al. Lumbopelvis control and days missed because of injury in professional baseball pitchers. Am J Sports Med 2014; 42: 2734-2740
• 30 Hibberd EE, Oyama S, Tatman J. et al. Dominant-limb range-of-motion and humeral-retrotorsion adaptation in collegiate baseball and softball position players. J Athl Train 2014; 49: 507-513
• 31 Butler RJ, Myers HS, Black D. et al. Bilateral differences in the upper quarter function of high school aged baseball and softball players. Int J Sports Phys Ther 2014; 9: 518
• 32 Shanley E, Rauh MJ, Michener LA. et al. Shoulder range of motion measures as risk factors for shoulder and elbow injuries in high school softball and baseball players. Am J Sports Med 2011; 39: 1997-2006
• 33 Ellenbecker TS, Ellenbecker GA, Roetert EP. et al. Descriptive profile of hip rotation range of motion in elite tennis players and professional baseball pitchers. Am J Sports Med 2007; 35: 1371-1376
• 34 Sauers EL, Huxel Bliven KC, Johnson MP. et al. Hip and glenohumeral rotational range of motion in healthy professional baseball pitchers and position players. Am J Sports Med 2013;
• 35 Scher S, Anderson K, Weber N. et al. Associations among hip and shoulder range of motion and shoulder injury in professional baseball players. J Athl Train 2010; 45: 191-197
• 36 Laudner KG, Moore SD, Sipes RC. et al. Functional hip characteristics of baseball pitchers and position players. Am J Sports Med 2010; 38: 383-387
• 37 Norton R, Honstand C, Joshi R. et al. Risk factors for elbow and shoulder injuries in adolescent baseball players: A systematic review. Am J Sports Med 2019; 47: 982-990
• 38 Hill JL, Humphries B, Weidner T. et al. Female collegiate windmill pitchers: Influences to injury incidence. J Strength Cond Res 2004; 18: 426-431
• 39 Friesen KB, Anz AW, Dugas JR. et al. The effects of body mass index on softball pitchers’ hip and shoulder range of motion. Sports Med Int Open 2021; 5: E8-E13
• 40 Hogg JA, Schmitz RJ, Nguyen AD. et al. Passive hip range of motion values across sex and sport. J Athl Train 2018; 53: 560-567
• 41 Gradoz MC, Bauer LE, Grindstaff TL. et al. Reliability of hip rotation range of motion in supine and seated positions. J Sport Rehab 2018; 27
• 42 Martin CL, Pobocik K, Hannah M. et al. Clinical Measures of Adolescent Softball Players With and Without Upper-Extremity Pain: A Preliminary Study. J Sport Rehab 2022; 1: 1-7
• 43 Guy CR, Zeppieri G, Bruner ML. et al. Shoulder and hip range of motion and strength changes throughout a season in college softball players. Int J Sports Phys Ther 2021; 16: 1492-1503
• 44 Chan JM, Zajac J, Erickson BJ. et al. Upper extremity and hip range of motion changes throughout a season in professional baseball players. Am J Sports Med 2020; 48: 481-487
• 45 Endo Y, Sakamoto M. Correlation of shoulder and elbow injuries with muscle tightness, core stability, and balance by longitudinal measurements in junior high school baseball players. J Phys Ther Sci 2014; 26: 689-693
• 46 Hamano N, Shitara H, Tajika T. et al. Relationship between tightness of the hip joint and shoulder/elbow injury in high school baseball pitchers: a prospective study. Sci Rep 2020; 10: 1-4
• 47 Picha KJ, Harding JL, Bliven KC. Glenohumeral and hip range-of-motion and strength measures in youth baseball athletes. J Athl Train 2016; 51: 466-473
• 48 Manzi JE, Kunze KN, Meza B. et al. Decreased trunk rotation at foot contact in professional baseball pitchers with prior conservatively managed SLAP tears: A propensity score–matched analysis. Arthroscopy 2022; 38: 1066-1074
• 49 Manzi JE, Dennis E, Black GG. et al. Kinematic and kinetic analyses of professional pitchers with history of core or groin injuries: A propen. J Orthop 2022; 30: 108-114
• 50 Jayanthi N, LaBella CR, Fischer D. et al. Sports-specialization intensive training and the risk of injury in young athletes: A clinical case-control study. Am J Sports Med 2015; 43: 794-801
• 51 Chalmers PN, Sgroi T, Riff AJ. et al. Correlates with history of injury in youth and adolescent pitchers. Arthroscopy 2015; 31: 1349-1357