title: Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic overhead athlete scores in asymptomatic professional baseball pitchers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic (KJOC) Shoulder and Elbow score is a subjective questionnaire that has been validated and been shown to be more specific in overhead athletes than the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scale. The purpose of this study was to determine a mean KJOC score and reasonable range of KJOC scores within which a healthy asymptomatic professional baseball pitcher will fall. It was hypothesized that healthy professional baseball pitchers would have very high KJOC scores.
  
  
  METHODS
  KJOC questionnaires were given to all healthy pitchers before the start of the season at all levels in 1 professional Minor League system. Pitchers were asked to complete the questionnaire upon reporting to their AAA, AA, or A affiliate team. Any pitcher starting the season on the disabled list was excluded from the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  KJOC scores were returned by 44 pitchers. The mean score for all pitchers was 94.82 (95% confidence interval, 92.94-96.70). The mean score for each question was greater than 9 of 10. The mean score for the AAA affiliate was significantly higher than that for the AA affiliate (P = .015). No other significant differences in scores were found between class levels or groups based on professional playing experience.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Only 7 of 44 healthy asymptomatic pitchers (16%) had a KJOC score below 90. Therefore, we believe that the KJOC score is an accurate assessment for overhead athletes and normal values should be greater than 90. Anything below this value could be a potential cause for concern for team physicians.
  
  
  METHODS
  Basic Science, Survey Study, Healthy Subjects.
authors.affiliation: The Rothman Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kraeutler
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Ciccotti
authors.forename: Christopher C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Dodson
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Frederick
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cammarota
authors.forename: Steven B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001484:Baseball / Q000293:injuries*; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D012016:Reference Values; D000070599:Shoulder Injuries; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000092464:Elbow Injuries