Baseball is enjoyed by millions in the United States every year. One of the more prevalent positions in baseball for injury is the pitcher. Baseball pitchers place the throwing shoulder under tremendous stress. For this reason, the shoulder in the throwing athlete has been the subject of extensive research. The purpose of this study was four-fold: 1) to determine the isokinetic profile of shoulder internal and external rotators of concentric and eccentric contractions of the nondominant and dominant shoulder in high school aged baseball pitchers; 2) to determine if a clinical examination could be used to determine scapular weakness which then could be used in a preseason screening to possibly prevent injuries; 3) to determine if a pitcher who demonstrated scapular weakness would exhibit more pain and limitations when examining the postseason questionnaire; and 4) to determine if placing the shoulder in a posterior position enhances isokinetic strength and velocity.
