Contributions of the muscular torques and motion-dependent torques to generate rapid elbow extension during overhand baseball pitching

Abstract

Some studies have reported that overarm baseball pitching shows a proximal to distal sequential joint motion including a rapid extension of the elbow. It has been suggested that the rapid elbow extension just before ball release is not due to the action of the elbow extensor muscles, but the underlying mechanisms are not so clear. The purpose of this study was to determine the contributions of each joint muscular- and motion-dependent torques, including the upper trunk and throwing arm joints to generate the rapid elbow extension during baseball pitching. The right handed throwing motions of three baseball pitchers were recorded using five high-speed video cameras and the positional data were calculated using the direct linear transformation method. A throwing arm dynamic model of the upper trunk and throwing arm joints was then used, including 10 degrees of freedom, to calculate the throwing arm joint muscular-, throwing arm and upper trunk joint motion-, gravity-, and external force-dependent components that contribute to the maximum elbow extension angular velocity. The results showed that the rapid elbow extension was primarily due to the upper trunk counterclockwise rotation and shoulder horizontal adduction angular velocity-dependent torques. This study implied that the trunk counterclockwise rotators and shoulder horizontal adductors generate positive torques to maintain the angular velocities of the upper trunk counterclockwise rotation and shoulder horizontal adduction may play a key role in producing the rapid elbow extension.