AOSSM 2022 Annual Meeting Recordings - no CME-Influence of Arm Path on Elbow Varus Torque in Professional Baseball Pitchers

Influence of Arm Path on Elbow Varus Torque in Professional Baseball Pitchers

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The speaker, a third-year medical student from Rush Medical College, discusses the relationship between arm path, ball velocity, and elbow varus torque in professional baseball pitchers. They highlight the increase in fastball velocity in MLB pitchers and the accompanying rise in shoulder and elbow injuries. Traditionally, pitchers were taught to throw with a longer arm path, but recently, there has been a shift towards shorter arm paths to decrease injury risk and optimize ball velocity. The speaker presents a study analyzing data from 189 pitchers using motion capture analysis, finding that arm path is a strong predictor of both ball velocity and elbow varus torque. They suggest that minor tweaks to pitching mechanics can optimize performance and minimize injury risk.

Asset Caption

Alexander Hodakowski, BA, ScM

Keywords

arm path

ball velocity

elbow varus torque

professional baseball pitchers

shoulder and elbow injuries