Background: Understanding clinical and tissue adaptations to the throwing shoulder is important for optimizing injury prevention and rehabilitation programs in baseball players.
Purpose/hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to determine the chronic clinical (range of motion [ROM] and strength) and tissue adaptations of the throwing shoulder in baseball pitchers. It was hypothesized that the throwing shoulder would have increased external rotation (ER) ROM and decreased internal rotation (IR) ROM compared with the nonthrowing shoulder, but that calculations of soft tissue glenohumeral IR deficit (GIRD) and soft tissue ER gain (ERG) would show that the true soft tissue restrictions were instead in the direction of ER ROM.