DEFICIENCIES IN PITCHING BIOMECHANICS IN BASEBALL PITCHERS WITH A HISTORY OF SLAP REPAIR

Abstract

Baseball pitchers who undergo SLAP (superior labrum, anterior to posterior) repair often have trouble returning to their previous level of performance. While the reason is often assumed to be diminished shoulder range of motion or other mechanical changes, differences in pitching biomechanics following surgery have not been previously studied. Pitching biomechanics were compared retrospectively between collegiate and professional pitchers with a history of a SLAP repair (n=10) and a control group (n=40) with no history of surgery. Full body biomechanics were compared between the two groups. For each comparison, a Student’s t-test was used at an a level of 0.05. Pitchers with history of SLAP repair produce less shoulder external rotation, shoulder horizontal abduction, and trunk forward tilt during pitching than pitchers with no history of injury.