Professional Baseball Pitcher Injury History on the Basis of Lead Knee Flexion Parameters
Joseph Manzi, Brittany Dowling, Daniel J. Betensky, Grant E. Garrigues, Nikhil Verma, Kyle Kunze, Timothy Kremchek, Lawrence V. Gulotta, James B. Carr, Joshua S. DinesBackground:
Baseball pitchers are taught to use their lead knee, known as lead leg block, to power their pitch. Research has shown that professional pitchers with increased lead knee extension at ball release have a faster ball velocity with no difference in throwing arm kinetics.
Purpose:
To discern if lead knee flexion is related to injury history in professional baseball pitchers.
Study Design:
Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.
Methods:
Three-dimensional motion capture (480 Hz) was used to assess 326 professional pitchers. Pitchers were divided into low (n = 163) and high (n = 163) flexion groups based on lead knee flexion at ball release. A
Results:
Professional pitchers in the low group demonstrated increased pitch velocity (38.7 ± 1.7 vs 37.7 ± 2.2 m/s, respectively;
Conclusion:
Professional baseball pitchers with decreased lead knee flexion at ball release demonstrated a faster ball velocity with no difference in overall or throwing arm injury history, a modifiable factor that may be useful for some pitchers in the recruitment of the lower extremities as a component of the kinetic chain.