Differences in Passive Shoulder Range of Motion Between Baseball Players With Neurogenic Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and Matched Healthy Controls. | LitMetric
Background: Neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome (nTOS) is becoming more recognized as a diagnosis in the throwing athlete. Currently, there is limited information on the clinical presentation and development of nTOS in baseball players.
Purpose: To compare passive shoulder range of motion (ROM) and anatomic humeral retrotorsion (HRT) of baseball players diagnosed with nTOS with a group of healthy, matched controls.
Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.
Methods: A total of 53 adolescent baseball players diagnosed with nTOS (age, 17.2 ± 2.3 years; height, 180.9 ± 10.1 cm; weight, 80.0 ± 13.3 kg) were compared with 53 healthy baseball players (age, 17.2 ± 2.4 years; height, 183.9 ± 9.0 cm; weight, 83.8 ± 11.5 kg). Participants were measured for shoulder internal rotation (IR) and external rotation (ER) ROM and HRT. All measurements were taken bilaterally, and the differences (throwing to nonthrowing arm) were used to calculate mean values for glenohumeral internal rotation difference, glenohumeral external rotation difference (GERD), total rotational motion difference (TRM), and anatomic humeral retrotorsion difference. Group comparisons were made between the nTOS and control players using multivariate analysis of variance, and descriptive comparisons were made with independent tests.
Results: There were no significant differences between groups in age, height, weight, or years of experience. Players in the nTOS group had significantly less throwing arm ER compared with controls (103.4° ± 10.4° vs 109.6° ± 7.5°, respectively; = .001) and GERD (3.0° ± 9.2° vs 8.8° ± 9.2°, respectively; = .002). TRM was significantly greater in nTOS (-11.1° ± 11.1°) than in controls (-3.7° ± 9.4°) ( < .001).
Conclusion: In the current study, adolescent baseball players diagnosed with nTOS were evaluated with shoulder ROM differences when compared with a matched healthy cohort. A loss of throwing arm ER appeared to be the main factor behind shoulder ROM changes in the nTOS group.
Objective: To retrospectively analyze publicly available elbow ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction (UCLR) injury data for professional baseball players.
Design: Descriptive epidemiology study.
Setting: A retrospective analysis using an open-source database was performed.
Background: Baseball pitching injuries can be related to fatigue. Changes in grip and pinch strength over the course of professional baseball games are unknown.
Hypothesis: Grip and pinch strength will decrease as the number of innings pitched increases; injured pitchers will have a lower grip strength than uninjured pitchers.
Two high-level baseball players sustained a hook of hamate fracture while batting and were treated with excision of the fragment. Both players returned to play, and both had repeat fractures through a regenerated hook. This phenomenon of hook of hamate regeneration has not been well described in the literature.
Relationship between ability to perform the deep squat test (DST) and floating toes among baseball players with disabled throwing shoulder/elbow was retrospectively investigated. Players performed the DST by fully squatting while having their arms crossed in front of their chest without lifting the heel off the floor or falling backwards. Floating toes were evaluated if all the toes were in contact with the mat or not.
Associate Professor in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Pediatrics, Department of Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Chief of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA.
