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JOURNAL
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SPORTS SCIENCE &
MEDICINE
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Research
article
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GLENOHUMERAL INTERNAL ROTATION DEFICIT IN THE ASYMPTOMATIC PROFESSIONAL PITCHER AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO HUMERAL RETROVERSION |
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John M. Tokish1, Michael S. Curtin2, Young-Kyu Kim3, Richard J. Hawkins4 and Michael R. Torry5  |
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1United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO, USA, 2Boise Orthopedics, Boise Idaho, USA, 3Gachen University, Department of Orthopedics, Inchon, South Korea, 4Steadman"Hawkins Clinic of the Carolinas, Spartanburg, SC, USA, 5Steadman"Hawkins Research Foundation, Vail, CO, USA |
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© Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (2008) 7, 78 - 83 Search Google Scholar for Citing Articles |
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| ABSTRACT | |||
| The purpose of this study was to determine if glenohumeral internal
rotation deficits (GIRD) exist in an asymptomatic population of professional
pitchers, and to assess whether these changes are primarily a bony or soft
tissue adaptation. Twenty three, active, asymptomatic professional (Major
League Baseball) pitchers volunteered for the study. Clinical measures of
glenohumeral ranges of motion, laxity, GIRD, as well as radiographic measures
of humeral retroversion were taken by two independent orthopaedic surgeons.
Data comparing side to side differences in range of motion, laxity, and
humeral retroversion were analyzed for statistical significance using a
paired t-test for continuous data and a Chi-squared test for ordinal data,
with a significance set at 0.05. Evaluations of statistical correlations
between different measurement parameters were accomplished using a Pearson
product moment correlation. We hypothesized GIRD will be positively correlated
with humeral retroversion (HR) in the pitching arm. All clinical and radiographic
measures were made in the field, at spring training, by physicians of both
private and institutional based sports medicine practices. For the entire
group, significant differences were exhibited for HR, external rotation
at 90° and internal rotation at 90°, for dominant vs. non-dominant arms.
GIRD of greater than 25° was noted in 10/23 of pitchers. In this group,
HR was significantly increased and correlated to GIRD. No such increase
or correlation was noted for the non-GIRD group. GIRD is a common finding
in asymptomatic professional pitchers, and is related to humeral retroversion.
Thus internal rotation deficits should not be used as the sole screening
tool to diagnose the disabled throwing shoulder.
Key words: Glenohumeral internal rotation, humeral retroversion, pitcher ROM. |
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