Adrian College, Adrian, Michigan.
James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Sports Health. 2021 May-Jun;13(3):230-236. doi: 10.1177/1941738120986555. Epub 2021 Feb 4.
Evidence suggests that shoulder and elbow injuries account for 31% to 37% of all National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) baseball injuries, and up to 69% of NCAA baseball injuries are the result of noncontact and overuse mechanisms. Early sport specialization may contribute to the high rates of upper extremity injuries in college baseball players.
Higher specialization by age 13 years would be associated with worse subjective throwing arm function and a greater history of shoulder and elbow injury.
Cohort study.
Level 2.
Survey data were collected from college baseball players (N = 129) during midseason of the spring 2019 baseball season. Participants were stratified in low, moderate, and high specialization groups based on a 3-criteria sports specialization questionnaire. Participants' throwing arm function was measured using the Functional Arm Scale for Throwers and the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic shoulder and elbow questionnaires. Participants' history of a shoulder or elbow injury that resulted in missing ≥2 weeks of baseball activity at any point in their baseball career was also collected.
The high specialization group reported worse subjective throwing arm function on the Functional Arm Scale for Throwers questionnaire than the low ( = 0.03) and moderate ( = 0.01) specialization groups. The high specialization group was over 5 times more likely to report a history of shoulder injury than the moderate (odds ratio [OR] = 5.42; 95% CI [1.71, 17.2]; = 0.004) and low (OR = 5.20; 95% CI [1.87, 14.5]; = 0.002) specialization groups, and over 3 times more likely to report a history of elbow injury than the moderate specialization group (OR = 3.77; 95% CI [1.05, 13.6]; = 0.04).
College baseball players that were highly specialized by age 13 years reported worse subjective throwing arm function and were more likely to have a history of upper extremity injury than players that were moderate or low specialization.
Early specialization in baseball may be detrimental to long-term upper extremity health in college baseball players.
有证据表明，肩部和肘部损伤占美国大学生体育协会（NCAA）棒球损伤的 31%至 37%，而多达 69%的 NCAA 棒球损伤是由非接触和过度使用机制引起的。早期的专项运动可能导致大学生棒球运动员上肢损伤率较高。
13 岁时的专项化程度越高，与较差的主观投掷臂功能和更多的肩部和肘部损伤史相关。
队列研究。
2 级。
在 2019 年春季棒球赛季中期，从大学生棒球运动员（N=129）中收集了调查数据。根据 3 项运动专项化问卷，参与者被分为低、中、高专项化组。使用投手功能性手臂量表和 Kerlan-Jobe 骨科诊所肩部和肘部问卷测量参与者的投掷臂功能。还收集了参与者在棒球生涯中的任何时候因肩部或肘部受伤而导致错过≥2 周棒球活动的病史。
高专项化组在投手功能性手臂量表问卷上报告的主观投掷臂功能比低（ = 0.03）和中（ = 0.01）专项化组差。高专项化组报告肩部受伤史的可能性是中（比值比[OR] = 5.42；95%置信区间[CI] [1.71, 17.2]； = 0.004）和低（OR = 5.20；95% CI [1.87, 14.5]； = 0.002）专项化组的 5 倍以上，报告肘部受伤史的可能性是中专项化组的 3 倍以上（OR = 3.77；95% CI [1.05, 13.6]； = 0.04）。
13 岁时高度专项化的大学生棒球运动员报告的主观投掷臂功能较差，且上肢受伤史的可能性高于中度或低度专项化的运动员。
棒球运动的早期专项化可能对大学生棒球运动员上肢的长期健康有害。
