ATI Physical Therapy, Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Houston Methodist, Houston, Texas.
Sports Health. 2022 Sep-Oct;14(5):702-709. doi: 10.1177/19417381211051381. Epub 2021 Oct 21.
The relationship between pitch volume and injury is well-represented within baseball literature. However, the impact of softball pitch volume on injury epidemiology is limited.
The purpose was to determine if increased pitch volumes in high school-aged softball pitchers are related to increased rates of subjectively reported pain/injury. We hypothesized that pitchers with increased volumes would have higher pain/injury rates.
Cross-sectional study.
Level 4.
A total of 28 female softball pitchers (aged 14-18 years) completed an online survey of questions pertaining to pitching history, pitch volume, and subjective report of pain or injury in the back, shoulder, and elbow. An independent-samples test was used to (1) compare pitch volumes in those who reported pain in individual body regions (shoulder, elbow, back) compared with those who did not; (2) compare pitch volumes in those who reported pain in 0 or 1 of the regions of interest compared with 2 or 3 regions; and (3) compare the reported percentage of the past year that players reported playing through pain in players who averaged >85 compared with <85 pitches per game. Chi-square analysis was used to compare those who pitched either >85 or <85 pitches per game with regard to frequency of shoulder pain, elbow pain, back pain, seeking of medical attention, and actual injury diagnosis. Type I error was set at α = 0.05.
Weekly and yearly pitch counts were higher in those reporting pain or injury (YES) than those who did not (NO) in the shoulder (pitches per week: NO = 219 ± 35; YES = 429 ± 101; = 0.027) (pitches per year: NO = 8876 ± 946; YES = 19,195 ± 4944; = 0.022) and back (pitches per week: NO = 188 ± 16; YES = 426 ± 90; = 0.014) (pitches per year: NO = 8334 ± 793; YES = 18,252 ± 4340; = 0.027). Similar results were observed for those with pain or injury reported in 2 or 3 regions compared with 0 or 1 regions (pitches per week: NO = 220 ± 38; YES = 414 ± 95; = 0.039) (pitches per year: NO = 8765 ± 1010; YES = 18,661 ± 4623; = 0.028). Those reporting shoulder pain or injury also reported higher pitch counts per game (NO = 71.4 ± 5.2; YES = 83 ± 4; = 0.049), and those reporting back pain also reported playing more games per week (NO = 2.7 ± 0.2; YES = 5.2 ± 1.1; = 0.034). Those with pitch counts of >85/game were more than twice as likely to see a physician regarding pain/injury ( = 0.027) and reported playing through pain a higher percentage of the year (>85, 49.3% ± 10%; <85, 25.2% ± 6%; < 0.05).
High pitching volumes commonly prevalent in high school-aged softball pitchers may be associated with increased pain/injury and appear related to cumulative volume.
This study provides recommendations for cumulative pitch volume guidelines in softball pitchers.
棒球文献中很好地描述了球速与受伤之间的关系。然而，垒球投球量对伤害流行病学的影响是有限的。
目的是确定高中年龄垒球投手的投球量增加是否与主观报告的疼痛/受伤率增加有关。我们假设投球量增加的投手会有更高的疼痛/受伤率。
横断面研究。
4 级。
共有 28 名女性垒球投手（年龄 14-18 岁）完成了一项关于投球史、投球量以及背部、肩部和肘部疼痛或受伤的主观报告的在线调查。使用独立样本 t 检验来比较：（1）报告身体个别部位（肩部、肘部、背部）疼痛的个体与无疼痛的个体之间的投球量；（2）报告 0 或 1 个感兴趣区域疼痛的个体与报告 2 或 3 个区域疼痛的个体之间的投球量；（3）报告过去一年中报告在投球量超过 85 次/场的情况下带伤比赛的球员比例与报告投球量低于 85 次/场的球员比例。使用卡方分析比较每周投球量超过 85 次或低于 85 次的球员与肩部疼痛、肘部疼痛、背部疼痛、寻求医疗关注和实际受伤诊断的频率。设定Ⅰ型错误为α=0.05。
每周和每年的投球次数在报告疼痛或受伤（是）的个体中高于未报告疼痛或受伤（否）的个体（肩部：否=219±35；是=429±101； =0.027）（每年：否=8876±946；是=19195±4944； =0.022）和背部（否=188±16；是=426±90； =0.014）（每年：否=8334±793；是=18252±4340； =0.027）。在报告 2 个或 3 个区域疼痛或受伤的个体中也观察到了类似的结果（肩部：否=220±38；是=414±95； =0.039）（每年：否=8765±1010；是=18661±4623； =0.028）。报告肩部疼痛或受伤的个体报告的投球量也更高（每周：否=71.4±5.2；是=83±4； =0.049），报告背部疼痛的个体报告的每周比赛次数也更多（每周：否=2.7±0.2；是=5.2±1.1； =0.034）。每周投球量超过 85 次的个体因疼痛/受伤而看医生的可能性是两倍多（ =0.027），并且报告在一年中带伤比赛的比例更高（每周：否=49.3%±10%；是=25.2%±6%； < 0.05）。
高中年龄垒球投手普遍存在的高投球量可能与疼痛/受伤增加有关，且似乎与累积量有关。
本研究为垒球投手的累积投球量指南提供了建议。
