Passive range of motion characteristics in the overhead baseball pitcher and their implications for rehabilitation.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional observational study comparing dominant and non-dominant shoulders without an external control group
PubMed 22532313 · doi:10.1007/s11999-012-2265-z
What was done
Between 2005 and 2010, researchers evaluated bilateral shoulder passive range of motion (PROM) in 369 professional baseball pitchers. Measurements included passive external rotation (ER) at 45° abduction, ER and internal rotation (IR) at 90° abduction in the scapular plane, and supine horizontal adduction to establish reference values and inform treatment programs.
What was found
In throwing versus non-throwing shoulders: - Mean ER at 45° abduction was 102° versus 98°. - Mean ER at 90° abduction was 132° versus 127°. - Dominant IR was 52° versus 63° on the non-dominant side. - Total rotational motion showed no statistically significant difference between sides.
Why it matters
These normative values define typical glenohumeral adaptations in professional pitchers—increased external rotation accompanied by decreased internal rotation—while demonstrating that total rotational arc remains symmetric.
Limits
The abstract provides no standard deviations, confidence intervals, or exact p-values. The cohort was restricted entirely to professional male baseball pitchers, limiting generalizability to youth, amateur, or non-baseball overhead athletes. The clinical efficacy of the derived treatment and injury-prevention protocols was not tested or quantified in the study.
Cited by
- supports Normal shoulder rotational range of motion spans approximately 160 degrees.