Abstract
We examined radiographs of the elbows of the pitching arms of 79 professional baseball pitchers (mean age, 25.1 years; mean duration of professional career, 4.7 years) and noted the frequency and size of spurs, bone fragments, and intra-articular loose bodies according to site. The influence of duration of professional baseball career on these osteoarthritic changes was also investigated. The olecranon tip was the most frequent site of spurs (62/79; 78.5%), and fragmentation of the spur was detected in 17 joints. The frequency of spurs was also high at the medial margin of the olecranon, the tip of the coronoid process, the medial margin of the sigmoid notch, the medial margin of the trochlea and the olecranon fossa. In 38 subjects, spurs were observed at the distal portion of the radial notch of the ulna. However, few pitchers had osteoarthritic changes in the humeral capitellum or radial head. Intra-articular loose bodies were detected in 4 of 79 joints (5.1%), and bone fragments were present below the medial humeral epicondyle in 25 of 79 joints (31.6%). Osteoarthritic changes in the elbow joint appeared to be attributable mainly to traction stress and impingement associated with extension and valgus strain. Significant osteoarthritic changes were often found in professional pitchers whose careers exceeded 5 years.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barnes DA, Tullos HS. An analysis of 100 symptomatic baseball players. Am J Sports Med 1978;6:62–67.
Bennett GE. Shoulder and elbow lesions of the professional base-ball pitcher. JAMA 1941;117:510–4.
Bennett GE, Maryland B. Elbow and shoulder lesions of baseball players. Am J Surg 1959;98:484–92.
King JW, Brelsford HJ, Tullos HS. Analysis of the, pitching arm of the professional baseball pitcher. Clin Orthop 1969;67:116–23.
Minami M. Roentgenological studies of osteoarthritis of the elbow joint (in Japanese). J Jpn Orthop Assoc 1977;51:1221–36.
Miyano S. Studies on pattern of development of osteoarthritis in the elbow joints (in Japanese). Hokkaido Seikei Saigaigeka Zasshi 1978;31:19–28.
Murakami T, Hamada N, Murata H, et al. Arthroplasty of elbow joint in professional baseball players (in Japanese). J Joint Surg 1994;13:61–71.
Murakami T, Murata H, Tamanisi T, et al. Pathology and treatment of osteoarthritic elbow in athletes (in Japanese). Nippon Hijikansetu Kenkyuukai Zasshi (J Japanese Elbow Society) 1994; 1:27–8.
O'Driscoll SW. Surgery of elbow arthritis. In: Koopman WJ, editor. Arthritis and allied conditions. 13th edition. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins, 1996:913–28.
Ortner DJ. Description and classification of degenerative bone changes in the distal joint surfaces of the humerus. Am J Phys Anthrop 1968;28:139–55.
Resnick D, Niwayama G. Degenerative disease of extraspinal locations. In: Resnick D, editor. Diagnosis of bone and joint disorders. 3rd edition. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders, 1995:1263–1371.
Shinomiya F, Imai M, Okada M, et al. Radiological and clinical studies for the osteoarthritis of the elbow joints, and its surgical treatment (in Japanese). Seikeigeka (Orthopaedic Surgery) 1984; 35:139–49.
Slocum DB. Classification of elbow injuries from baseball pitching. Texas Med J 1968;64:48–53.
Tullos HS, Bryan WJ. Functional anatomy of the elbow. In: Zarins B, Andrews JR, Carson Jr WG,editor. Injuries to the throwing arm. Philadelphia: WB Saunders, 1985:191–210.
Tullos HS, King JW. Throwing mechanism in sports. Orthop Clin North Am 1973;4:709–20.
Wilson FD, Andrews JR, Blackburn TA, et al. Valgus extension overload in the pitching elbow. Am J Sports Med 1983;11:83–8.
Woods GW, Tullos HS, King JW. The throwing arm: Elbow joint injuries. Am J Sports Med 1973;1:43–7.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
About this article
Cite this article
Takeda, T., Ishida, H., Horiuchi, Y. et al. Radiographic study of osteoarthritic elbows in professional basebal pitchers. J Orthop Sci 2, 372–377 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02488924
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02488924