The Relationship Between Hip Range of Motion and Pitching Kinematics Related to Increased Elbow Valgus Loads in Collegiate Baseball Pitchers: A Pilot Study.
Giorgio Zeppieri, Michelle L Bruner, Jon P Michelini and 1 others
PMID 33842042WHAT IT FOUND
Some hip rotation range of motion measures were linked to pitching mechanics thought to load the elbow in seven collegiate pitchers.
This pilot did not test injury risk or whether changing hip motion helps.
Key findings
01Trail hip total rotation and external rotation were associated with when trunk rotation began during pitching.
02Lead hip total rotation was associated with maximum shoulder external rotation.
03Lead hip internal rotation was associated with elbow flexion angle at ball release.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only seven pitchers were tested, so the correlations may be unstable and cannot be treated as proof. The study did not test whether hip motion changes pitching mechanics or injury risk. The pitchers were healthy collegiate athletes, so results cannot be extrapolated to youth or professional pitchers. Intra-rater reliability for the prone hip ROM measurements was not assessed. Pitching was measured on an indoor artificial mound, not on a field.
Declared interests
The authors declared no affiliations with or financial involvement in any entity with a direct financial interest in the subject matter.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that restricted hip motion causes elbow valgus load or that hip mobility training prevents pitcher elbow injury. This pilot only measured correlations in seven healthy collegiate pitchers and did not test injury risk or an intervention.