With springtime fast approaching, this means the return of baseball season and unfortunately, baseball-related injuries. Major League Baseball, which is the second-most popular sport in America, is best known for its pitchers. Have you ever wondered how someone could throw a ball so hard and so fast, on speeds upwards of 100 miles per hour? Have you wondered the amount of stress and likelihood of elbow injury that this can cause? Glenn Fleisig, a professor and researcher at UAB School of Engineering, attempts to tackle these questions.
Fleisig explains that an elbow surgery, called Tommy John surgery, is common among baseball pitchers of all ages, from children to professionals. The purpose of this surgery is to repair the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in the elbow, which allows pitchers to effectively throw. And to illustrate how common it is, 25% of all current MLB pitchers have undergone Tommy John surgery. And in 2014, around 100 pitchers underwent the surgery, a sharp contrast to just 20 years prior. This statistic is especially alarming because 20% of the pitchers noticed dips in their performances after the procedure.
Image Source: Steve Russell
To further research this issue, Fleisig and James Andrews, a sports surgeon, studied almost 500 young pitchers over a 10-year period. Fleisig and Andrews analyzed the number of innings pitched and injuries suffered. They wanted to learn how the biomechanics of the joints and tissues involved in pitching affected injuries. To accomplish this, they utilized a motion analysis system to quantify the amount of stress on the elbow and shoulder while pitching, which they found to be about 60 pounds.
Fleisig and Andrews explained that pitchers who pitch more than 100 innings each year increase their risk of arm injuries by a factor of 3. They attributed this to two factors: excessive pitching and poor mechanics. Many baseball leagues have tried to address this problem of over-pitching by implementing pitch limits and mandatory rest days. In addition, MLB has partnered with a website called Pitch Smart to educate pitchers about proper mechanics. Ultimately, even though elbow surgeries have been going up, it’s good news that baseball leagues have taken steps to mitigate their effect.
Feature Image Source: Diner by Caitlin Regan
