Optimizing Pitching Performance through Shoulder and Elbow Biomechanics

Abstract

Shoulder injuries account for two-thirds of all injuries in overhead athletes. Maximizing pitching performance while mitigating injury risk requires an objective understanding of the complex biomechanics—both motion and loads—between the lower and upper extremity. Recent advances in both marker-based and marker-less motion capture systems have advanced our knowledge of shoulder biomechanics. Marker-based 3D motion analysis systems remain the gold-standard in sports performance analysis, but recent technical improvements in marker-less and IMU-based systems have provided new insights into pitching biomechanics both on and off the field. These research tools have identified that excessive shoulder external rotation and inefficient transfer of energy from the lower body through the kinetic chain during pitches leads to increased injury risk, particularly in youth and high school pitchers. These motion capture tools should be used to objectively measure cumulative pitching workload and identify the factors that can predispose pitchers to injury.