Neurologic Injuries in Baseball Players

Abstract

In baseball pitchers, injuries to the throwing arm are common due to the extreme stresses placed on the elbow and shoulder joints. These result in peripheral nerve syndromes including ulnar neuropathy at the elbow and suprascapular neuropathy at the shoulder. Recurrent trauma to the axillary artery causing aneurysm and thrombus formation may lead to distal ischemia and stroke. Careful evaluation is required to identify musculoskeletal, neurologic, and vascular causes of upper extremity symptoms in the throwing athlete.