Comparison of passive torque during shoulder internal rotation before and after a pitching in college baseball pitchers

Abstract

Previous study reported that baseball pitchers had a decreased shoulder internal rotation (IR) range of motion after pitching. However, whether the decreased range of motion associated with pitching is caused by tightness of the posterior shoulder has not been clarified yet. The joint stiffness in the passive torque can be compared with posterior shoulder tightness before and after pitching. Hence, this study aimed to compare shoulder IR stiffness based on passive torque before and after pitching in baseball pitcher. Eleven health male collage baseball pitchers were recruited. Passive torque during IR (max IR, peak torque and stiffness) of dominant and non-dominant arms was measured using an isokinetic dynamometer. Measurements were taken before, after, and post 24 hours after pitching (105 pitches). It was observed that after pitching, max IR and peak torque were significantly decreased compared to those before pitching. However, there was no difference in the stiffness of passive torque among three measurements. In conclusion, healthy college baseball pitchers have a decreased IR range of motion after pitching. However, this result is not due to posterior shoulder tissue tightness, but because of altered stretch tolerance.