Upper extremity range of motion and isokinetic strength of the internal and external shoulder rotators in major league baseball players

Abstract

Forty-one professional baseball players volunteered for upper extremity range of motion measurements and isokinetic testing for internal and external shoulder ro tation. Pitchers demonstrated 9° more external shoul der rotation with the arm abducted, 5° more forearm pronation, and 9° less shoulder extension on the dom inant side compared with the dominant side of position players. Pitchers also demonstrated 9° more external rotation in abduction, 5° less shoulder flexion, 11 ° less horizontal extension, 15° less internal rotation in ab duction, 6° less elbow extension, 4° less elbow flexion, and 5° less forearm supination on the dominant side compared with their nondominant side. Position players demonstrated 8° more external rotation in abduction, 14° less horizontal extension, and 8° less elbow exten sion on the dominant side compared with their nondom inant side. Greater torque was produced by pitchers compared with position players for the dominant and nondominant arm at all test speeds for both mean peak and mean average torque. Greater torque was pro duced by the dominant arm compared with the non dominant arm also at all test speeds for both of these measurements. No difference was found between the rotation ratios for either arm, for either group, for all speeds.