title: Glenohumeral range of motion and stiffness in professional baseball pitchers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was conducted to perform kinematic measures in a group of asymptomatic professional baseball pitchers to determine side-to-side differences in passive glenohumeral range of motion (ROM) and stiffness. We hypothesized that the throwing shoulder in asymptomatic pitchers would display greater passive glenohumeral stiffness than the contralateral nonthrowing shoulder.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-four professional baseball pitchers had bilateral assessments for passive glenohumeral ROM and stiffness during a single test session. ROM and stiffness measures were obtained objectively using standard goniometry and instrumented stress arthrometry, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The throwing shoulder had significantly less (-8.5 degrees) internal rotation and significantly more external rotation (5.1 degrees) than the nonthrowing shoulder (P < 0.01). Passive joint stiffness was not significantly different between the throwing and nonthrowing shoulder, and anterior joint stiffness was significantly greater than posterior joint stiffness for both shoulders (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The repetitive stress of long-term throwing creates altered glenohumeral rotational patterns in the throwing shoulder of the professional baseball pitcher without compromising the joint's passive restraining quality.
authors.affiliation: Sports Medicine Research Laboratory, Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-8205, USA. pborsa@hhp.ufl.edu
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Borsa
authors.forename: Geoffrey C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Dover
authors.forename: Kevin E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Wilk
authors.forename: Michael M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Reinold
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001484:Baseball; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology*; D012785:Shoulder Joint / Q000502:physiology*; D014481:United States