FUNCTIONAL ANATOMY OF BASEBALL PITCHING
Overhand throwing places a great deal on the shoulder joint and requires significant upper extremity muscular activation to control and contribute to the throwing movement even though the lower extremity is a major contributor to the power generation in a throw. Baseball pitching involves optimally coordinating movements of the upper extremity, trunk and lower extremity to produce maximum ball velocity.
JOINTS INVOLVED IN PITCHING
SHOULDERARTICULATIONS:
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ELBOWARTICULATIONS:
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WRIST/FOREARMARTICULATIONS:
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MUSCULAR ACTIVATION DURING PITCHING PHASES
Download the following link for an in depth look at muscular activation patterns that occur during each phase of the pitching cycle
muscleactivationchart.docx | |
File Size: | 23 kb |
File Type: | docx |
ADAPTIVE ANATOMIC CHANGES
Refers to the non-pathological acquired variations seen more frequently in baseball players than in the general population
-Bone is known to remodel in response to stresses applied during sports, so the humerus of professional baseball players are likely larger in diameter and contain thicker cortical bone
- generalized adaptive muscular hypertrophy of dominant shoulder
- increased range of motion in external rotation by up to 16 degrees
- increased anterior capsular laxity associated with increased anterior glenohumeral translation in external rotation and abduction
-Bone is known to remodel in response to stresses applied during sports, so the humerus of professional baseball players are likely larger in diameter and contain thicker cortical bone