Publications by authors named "Anthony W Fava"
Article Synopsis
- More than half of youth baseball pitchers experience throwing-related pain, prompting an investigation into the role of elbow flexion during pitching.
- The study assessed 38 pitchers, comparing those with throwing-arm pain to matched pain-free pitchers regarding their elbow flexion throughout a pitch cycle.
- Results showed no significant differences in elbow flexion or peak elbow flexion between the two groups, contradicting previous studies that linked elbow pain to differences in pitching mechanics.
Article Synopsis
- High-volume pitching can lead to changes in mechanics, fatigue, and injury risk, but little has been studied about the kinetics involved in different pitch types in softball.
- A study involving 19 high school pitchers examined the peak kinetics of their shoulder, elbow, and wrist by having them pitch various types of pitches across multiple innings, simulating a game and doubleheader scenario.
- Results showed significant decreases in joint kinetics from the first inning to the last and during the doubleheader, particularly for elbow and wrist forces, with lower kinetics observed for changeups compared to fastballs and breaking balls, indicating a potential injury risk as the game progresses.
Hip and shoulder range of motion (ROM) alterations are correlated with increased risk of injury in softball athletes. The purpose of this study was to investigate bilateral shoulder and hip ROM adaptation during a simulated softball double-header exposure. It was hypothesized that shoulder and hip ROM would decrease after simulated game exposure and would not return to baseline following a 30-minute break.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Increased shoulder distraction force during a baseball pitch may make a pitcher susceptible to rotator cuff or glenohumeral labral injuries. A precursor to a pitching injury may be pain experienced in the throwing arm.
Purpose: To (1) compare peak shoulder distraction (PSD) forces in youth baseball pitchers with and without upper extremity pain when throwing a fastball and (2) assess if PSD forces across trials differ between pain and pain-free groups.
Background: Motion of the pelvis and trunk during baseball pitching is associated with increased upper extremity (UE) kinetics. Increased kinetics on the UE may lead to throwing-arm pain in youth pitchers. Limited biomechanical comparisons have been conducted on youth pitchers with and without throwing-arm pain to identify mechanical risk factors associated with pain.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Single-leg squat (SLS) performance is related to altered mechanics related to injury during the windmill softball pitch; however, it is unknown if SLS kinematics differ between softball pitchers with and without upper extremity pain.
Purpose/hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to compare knee valgus, trunk rotation, trunk lateral flexion, and trunk flexion during an SLS in collegiate softball pitchers with and without self-reported upper extremity pain. It was hypothesized that those who reported upper extremity pain would show increased compensatory trunk and knee kinematics compared with those without pain.
Background: Inconsistent findings exist between drive-leg ground-reaction forces (GRFs) and pitching mechanics. Previous literature has largely reported drive-leg mechanics and GRFs at the start of the pushoff phase for their role in initiating force development. Little research has assessed drive-leg kinematics that includes a pitcher's windup motion to determine its effects on subsequent phases in the pitching motion.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF