Poor Form Causes 'Little League Elbow' In Pitchers

An improper throwing motion appears to be contributing to the rapid increase in arm injuries in young pitchers, according to a new study presented today at the 74th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. The study finds that winding up and uncurling the body too late before releasing the ball leads to increased stress on the elbows of adolescent pitchers. One of these increasingly common injuries has been coined Little League elbow. reasingly common injuries has been coined Little League elbow.

"The incidence of shoulder and arm injuries in young pitchers has risen dramatically in the last five years," said Carl Wilson Nissen, MD, lead author and director of sports medicine at Connecticut Children's Medical Center. "We're seeing more young pitchers in the hospital and, unfortunately, in the operating room."

The fastball pitching motion of 27 injury-free Little League pitchers ages 10-14 was studied using motion analysis equipment. Each phase of a pitcher's wind up, release and follow through was analyzed to determine the abnormal mechanics that may lead to arm injuries. Rotating the pelvis and upper body either early, too early or too late before delivering the pitch caused increased stress on the elbow.

Researchers found that pitchers who kept their pelvis square to home plate at the point of maximum shoulder rotation and had their upper bodies square to the plate when releasing the ball had reduced elbow loads.

"Little League coaches need to teach their players the pitching techniques to help them avoid injuries," said Dr. Nissen.

Dr. Nissen noted that improper pitching mechanics was only one factor contributing to arm injuries in young pitchers. To protect players from overuse injuries, Little League Baseball recently changed its pitching rules by limiting the number of pitches a player can deliver in a game, season, and a year.

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
http://www.aaos.org