title: Relationship between grip, pinch strengths and anthropometric variables, types of pitch throwing among Japanese high school baseball pitchers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Grip and pinch strength are crucially important attributes and standard parameters related to the functional integrity of the hand. It seems significant to investigate normative data for grip and pinch strength of baseball players to evaluate their performance and condition. Nevertheless, few reports have explained the association between grip and pinch strength and anthropometric variables and types of pitch throwing for baseball pitchers.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to measure and evaluate clinical normative data for grip and tip, key, palmar pinch strength and to assess the relationship between these data and anthropometric variables and types of pitch throwing among Japanese high-school baseball pitchers.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred-thirty three healthy high school baseball pitchers were examined and had completed a self-administered questionnaire including items related to age, hand dominance, throwing ratio of type of pitch. A digital dynamometer was used to measure grip strength and a pinch gauge to measure tip, key and palmer pinch in both dominant and nondominant side. Body composition was measured by the multi frequency segmental body composition analyzer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Grip strength and tip and palmer pinch strength in dominant side were statistically greater than them in nondominant side (P < 0.05). There were significant associations between grip strength and height (r = 0.33, P < 0.001), body mass (r = 0.50, P < 0.001), BMI (r = 0.37, P < 0.001), muscle mass of upper extremity (r = 0.56, P < 0.001), fat free mass (r = 0.57, P < 0.001), fat mass (r = 0.22, P < 0.05) in dominant side. A stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that fat free mass and tip, palmer, key pinch strength were predictors of grip strength in dominant side. No statistical significant correlations were found between the throwing ratio of types of pitches thrown and grip strength and tip, key, palmar pinch strength.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our result provides normative values and evidences for grip and pinch strengths in high school baseball pitchers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma, Japan.
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tajika
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical therapy, Takasaki University of Health and Welfare, Gunma, Japan.
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma, Japan.
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shitara
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma, Japan.
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ichinose
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma, Japan.
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shimoyama
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma, Japan.
authors.forename: Chisa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Okura
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma, Japan.
authors.forename: Saeko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kanazawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma, Japan.
authors.forename: Ayako
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takagishi
keywords: Grip; Pinch Strength; School