Biomechanical demands of throwing may be linked with thicker UCLs in baseball pitchers
According to a study of Division I collegiate baseball players, ulnar collateral ligament thickness may be greater in pitchers vs. position players and throwing arms vs. nonthrowing arms.
Results showed UCL thickness was positively correlated with several throwing variables such as high-effort throws, high-effort torque and arm speed, but not total number of throws.
“The significantly higher prevalence of UCL injuries among pitchers, along with their thicker UCLs, underscores the unique biomechanical demands placed on pitchers and highlights the need for targeted injury monitoring strategies in baseball,” Calvin Smith, MS, from the department of exercise science at Syracuse University, and colleagues wrote in the study.
