Faculty of Sports Sciences, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan.
Department of Rehabilitation, Toyota Memorial Hospital, Aichi, Japan.
Am J Sports Med. 2019 Sep;47(11):2709-2716. doi: 10.1177/0363546519861378. Epub 2019 Jul 23.
Throwing injuries of the shoulder and elbow are common among youth baseball players.
A prevention program will reduce the incidence of throwing injuries of the shoulder and elbow by 50% among youth baseball players.
Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1.
The authors block randomized 16 youth baseball teams consisting of 237 players aged 9 to 11 years into an intervention group (8 teams, 117 players) and a control group (8 teams, 120 players). The intervention program consisted of 5 stretching, 2 dynamic mobility, and 2 balance training exercises performed during warm-up. Both groups were followed up for 12 months, during which the incidence of shoulder and elbow injuries was recorded. In addition, ball speed during pitching as a performance-related factor and variables of physical function (passive range of motion of the elbow, shoulder and hip, dynamic balance, and thoracic kyphosis angle) were assessed during the pre- and postintervention periods.
The incidence of shoulder and elbow injuries in the intervention group (1.7 per 1000 athlete-exposures) was significantly lower than that in the control group (3.1 per 1000 athlete-exposures) (hazard ratio, 1.940; 95% CI, 1.175-3.205; = .010). The factors related to pitching performance, as assessed by ball speed, tended to increase in the intervention group as compared with the control group ( = .010). The program also improved shoulder horizontal adduction deficits on the dominant side, hip internal rotation on the nondominant side, and the thoracic kyphosis angle.
A prevention program decreases throwing injuries of the shoulder and elbow and enhances the parameter of pitching performance in youth baseball players.
肩部和肘部投掷伤在青少年棒球运动员中较为常见。
预防计划将使青少年棒球运动员的肩部和肘部投掷伤发生率降低 50%。
随机对照试验；证据水平，1。
作者将 16 支由 9 至 11 岁青少年棒球队组成的队伍（237 名球员）分为干预组（8 支队伍，117 名球员）和对照组（8 支队伍，120 名球员），采用分组随机法。干预方案包括 5 个拉伸、2 个动态活动度和 2 个平衡训练练习，在热身时进行。两组均随访 12 个月，记录肩部和肘部受伤的发生率。此外，在干预前后评估与投球表现相关的因素（球速）和身体功能变量（肘部、肩部和髋关节的被动活动度、动态平衡和胸椎后凸角度）。
干预组（每 1000 名运动员暴露 1.7 例）的肩部和肘部受伤发生率明显低于对照组（每 1000 名运动员暴露 3.1 例）（危险比，1.940；95%CI，1.175-3.205；P =.010）。干预组投球表现相关的因素（球速）较对照组有升高趋势（P =.010）。该方案还改善了优势侧肩部水平内收不足、非优势侧髋关节内旋和胸椎后凸角度。
预防计划可降低青少年棒球运动员的肩部和肘部投掷伤发生率，并提高投球表现的参数。
