Changes in the Medial Elbow Joint During Repetitive Pitching and Related Factors in High School Baseball Players: An Analysis of Physical Characteristics Including Maximum Elbow Valgus Torque.
Shun Okamura, Hiroshi Hattori, Kai Iida and 2 others
PMID 41185654WHAT IT FOUND
After 100 pitches, the medial elbow joint widened and the ulnar collateral ligament and forearm flexor pronator muscles became less stiff.
Greater elbow valgus torque and weaker shoulder abduction predicted more ligament softening, while limited thoracic spine movement predicted more muscle softening.
Key findings
01Medial elbow joint width increased significantly after pitching compared to before pitching.
02UCL stiffness decreased significantly immediately after pitching compared with the stiffness before pitching.
03Normalized maximum elbow valgus torque and shoulder abduction muscle strength were independently related to the rate of change in UCL stiffness.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study was underpowered for the multiple regression analysis, with achieved statistical power of 0.72 rather than the targeted 0.80. Participants were limited to male high school baseball players, so findings may not generalize to other ages or competitive levels. Muscle activity of the forearm flexor pronator muscles was not measured. The study design did not follow participants over time to determine if these acute changes led to injury.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the acute changes in stiffness and joint width as definitive evidence of injury risk. The study was underpowered for its regression models, and no long-term follow-up was conducted to link these physical changes to actual elbow pathology.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →