Scaption and Rotational Strength Deficits in Collegiate Baseball Athletes with Medial Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injury: Matched Cross-Sectional Study
ABSTRACT
Context:
Medial ulnar collateral ligament (MUCL) injuries requiring surgery continue to rise amongst collegiate baseball players. While external rotation (ER) and internal rotation (IR) strength have been identified as modifiable risk factors, no study has examined isometric scaption (SCAP) strength in a MUCL injured collegiate baseball population against a matched uninjured cohort, and no studies have normalized these strength data to body mass.
Objective:
To determine whether differences exist in normalized isometric SCAP, ER, and IR strength between MUCL injured and matched uninjured college baseball players.
Design:
Cross-sectional.
Setting:
Physical therapy clinic & athletic training room
Patients or Other Participants:
A total of 70 collegiate baseball players participated in this study (35 MUCL injured, 35 uninjured). Injured baseball players were matched by position, throwing arm, total years of baseball participation, year in school, and age at enrollment to players without a MUCL injury. MUCL injured data were retrieved from a single surgeon database and we recruited the uninjured group from two NCAA Division I and III baseball programs
Main Outcome Measure(s):
Bilateral isometric SCAP, ER and IR strength normalized to body mass (N/kg).
Results:
Uninjured baseball players demonstrated more body mass normalized SCAP, ER, and IR strength on the throwing (mean difference=0.30N/kg, 0.34N/kg, and 0.68N/kg, respectively) and non-throwing (mean difference=0.36N/kg, 0.32N/kg, and 0.58N/kg, respectively) arms when compared to players with a MUCL injury (p-value range <0.001–0.01) after controlling for BMI and level of competition.
Conclusions:
Our results demonstrate that MUCL injured baseball players present with less body mass normalized SCAP, ER, and IR strength compared to a matched uninjured cohort. Body mass normalized SCAP, ER, and IR strength should be considered as a variable of interest in player screening for injured athletes returning to sport and uninjured athletes with the goal of reducing future injury risk.
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