Physeal changes and range-of-motion differences in the dominant shoulders of skeletally immature baseball players.

TitlePhyseal changes and range-of-motion differences in the dominant shoulders of skeletally immature baseball players.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2004
AuthorsMair SD, Uhl TL, Robbe RG, Brindle KA
JournalJ Shoulder Elbow Surg
Volume13
Issue5
Pagination487-91
Date Published2004 Sep-Oct
ISSN1058-2746
KeywordsAdolescent, Baseball, Biomechanical Phenomena, Bone Development, Child, Humans, Male, Pain, Radiography, Range of Motion, Articular, Shoulder Joint
Abstract

The purpose of this study was to document range-of-motion differences and radiographic changes in the dominant shoulder of skeletally immature throwers and to determine how pain associated with throwing may relate to these changes. Seventy-nine male youth baseball players (aged 8-15 years) completed a questionnaire, a shoulder examination, and a series of radiographs to determine physeal changes and humeral retroversion. Radiographs were reviewed and interpreted by a blinded musculoskeletal radiologist. Measurement of proximal humeral physeal width revealed a significant increase on the dominant side for the entire group, in subjects with a history of symptoms during the current season, and in subjects who had never had symptoms. Visual radiographic changes were commonly found in subjects with a history of pain (16/26 [62%]) as well as in those subjects without symptoms (29/53 [55%]). Subjects had increased external rotation of the dominant arm as compared with the nondominant arm, and this pattern increased in magnitude as the throwers aged. Range-of-motion and radiographic asymmetry of the shoulders is common, is often asymptomatic, and may represent adaptive changes in this population.

DOI10.1016/j.jse.2004.02.008
Alternate JournalJ Shoulder Elbow Surg
PubMed ID15383802