Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Contribution of the Craig’s test to hip internal rotation among baseball players

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Sport Sciences for Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Decreased hip internal rotation is a risk factor of shoulder and elbow injury among baseball players. However, few studies have investigated whether the Craig’s test is a predictor of hip internal rotation among baseball players. The purpose of this study was to identify whether the Craig’s test is a predictor of the range of hip internal rotation of high school baseball players, using multiple regression analysis.

Methods

We selected 23 high school baseball players as participants. Both hips of the participants were examined and divided into the lead hip and trail hip groups. The range of hip internal rotation at 90° of hip flexion (HIF) and 0° of hip extension (HIE) was evaluated. The femoral anteversion angle and α-angle were calculated using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and the Craig’s test was performed. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the predictors of hip internal rotation by comparing the Craig’s test and the femoral anteversion angle and α-angle on MRI.

Results

On multiple regression analysis, the Craig’s test was a predictor of lead hip-HIF, trail hip-HIF, lead hip-HIE, and trail hip-HIE, and the respective R2 values were 0.62, 0.57, 0.66, and 0.52 (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

This study shows that the Craig’s test for high school baseball players is a predictor of HIF and HIE in the lead hip and trail hip. Since the Craig’s test results are the largest predictor of hip internal rotation, the soft tissues and Craig’s test need to be assessed among baseball players.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

Availability of data and material

Not applicable.

Code availability

Not applicable.

References

  1. Bedi A, Kelly BT (2013) Femoroacetabular impingement. J Bone Jt Surg Am 95:82–92

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Burkhart SS, Morgan CD, Kibler WB (2003) The disabled throwing shoulder: spectrum of pathology Part I: pathoanatomy and biomechanics. Arthroscopy 19:404–420

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Klingenstein GG, Zbeda RM, Bedi A, Magennis E, Kelly BT (2013) Prevalence and preoperative demographic and radiographic predictors of bilateral femoroacetabular impingement. Am J Sports Med 41:762–768

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Laudner KG, Moore SD, Sipes RC, Meister K (2010) Functional hip characteristics of baseball pitchers and position players. Am J Sports Med 38:383–387

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Robb AJ, Fleisig G, Wilk K, Macrina L, Bolt B, Pajaczkowski J (2010) Passive ranges of motion of the hips and their relationship with pitching biomechanics and ball velocity in professional baseball pitchers. Am J Sports Med 38:2487–2493

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Sauers EL, Huxel Bliven KC, Johnson MP, Falsone S, Walters S (2014) Hip and glenohumeral rotational range of motion in healthy professional baseball pitchers and position players. Am J Sports Med 42:430–436

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Takeuchi S, Sugimoto K, Goto H, Tsuchiya A, Takenaga T, Takaba K et al (2020) Characteristics of femoral torsion angles and relationships between femoral torsion angles and hip rotational motion variables in adult baseball players. Orthop J Sports Med 8:2325967120966319. https://doi.org/10.1177/2325967120966319

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Saito M, Kenmoku T, Kameyama K et al (2014) Relationship between tightness of the hip joint and elbow pain in adolescent baseball players. Orthop J Sports Med 2(2325967120966319):2325967114532424. https://doi.org/10.1177/2325967114532424

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  9. Audenaert EA, Peeters I, Vigneron L, Baelde N, Pattyn C (2012) Hip morphological characteristics and range of internal rotation in femoroacetabular impingement. Am J Sports Med 40:1329–1336

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Staheli LT (1989) Torsion–treatment indications. Clin Orthop Relat Res 247:61–66

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Hack K, Di Primio GD, Rakhra K, Beaulé PE (2010) Prevalence of cam-type femoroacetabular impingement morphology in asymptomatic volunteers. J Bone Jt Surg Am 92:2436–2444

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Kelly BT, Bedi A, Robertson CM, Dela Torre KD, Giveans MR, Larson CM (2012) Alterations in internal rotation and alpha angles are associated with arthroscopic cam decompression in the hip. Am J Sports Med 40:1107–1112

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Leunig M, Beaulé PE, Ganz R (2009) The concept of femoroacetabular impingement: current status and future perspectives. Clin Orthop Relat Res 467:616–622

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Souza RB, Powers CM (2009) Concurrent criterion-related validity and reliability of a clinical test to measure femoral anteversion. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 39:586–592

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Ruwe PA, Gage JR, Ozonoff MB, DeLuca PA (1992) Clinical determination of femoral anteversion. A comparison with established techniques. J Bone Jt Surg Am 74:820–830

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Tomczak RJ, Guenther KP, Rieber A, Mergo P, Ros PR, Brambs HJ (1997) MR imaging measurement of the femoral antetorsional angle as a new technique: comparison with CT in children and adults. AJR Am J Roentgenol 168:791–794

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Tamari K, Tinley P, Briffa K, Breidahl W (2005) Validity and reliability of existing and modified clinical methods of measuring femoral and tibiofibular torsion in healthy subjects: use of different reference axes may improve reliability. Clin Anat 18:46–55

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Scher S, Anderson K, Weber N, Bajorek J, Rand K, Bey MJ (2010) Associations among hip and shoulder range of motion and shoulder injury in professional baseball players. J Athl Train 45:191–197

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  19. Ellenbecker TS, Ellenbecker GA, Roetert EP, Silva RT, Keuter G, Sperling F (2007) Descriptive profile of hip rotation range of motion in elite tennis players and professional baseball pitchers. Am J Sports Med 35:1371–1376

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors thank T. Sakurauchi for their assistance with data collection.

Funding

No funding was received for conducting this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Sciences, Japan University of Health Sciences, 2-555, Hirasuka, Satte, Saitama, 340-0145, Japan

    Makoto Takahashi

  2. Department of Physical Therapy, School of Rehabilitation, Tokyo Professional University of Health Sciences, 22-10, Shiohama 2-chome, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-0043, Japan

    Koji Iwamoto

  3. Department of Physical Therapy, Ibaraki Prefectural University of Health Sciences, 4669-2 Ami, Ami-machi, Inashiki-gun, Ibaraki, 300-0394, Japan

    Kazuhide Tomita

  4. Department of Rehabilitation, Funabashi Orthopedic Ichikawa Clinic, 1-8-6 Ichikawaminami, Ichikawa, Chiba, 272-0033, Japan

    Kazuyasu Isho, Hiroshi Mikami & Yuki Nakajima

  5. Department of Rehabilitation, Hitachino Orthopedic Clinic, 3-2-1, Hitachinohigashi, Ushiku, Ibaraki, Japan

    Makoto Takahashi

Authors
  1. Makoto Takahashi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Koji Iwamoto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kazuhide Tomita
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Kazuyasu Isho
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Hiroshi Mikami
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Yuki Nakajima
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

MT conceived the presented idea and planned the experiments. YN contributed to sample preparation. MT, KI, and HM conducted the experiment. MT wrote the manuscript with support from KI and KT. All authors provided critical feedback and helped shape the research, analysis, and manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Makoto Takahashi.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest associated with this study.

Ethics approval

We ensured that the rights of all participants were protected without engaging in this research, and obtained a statement indicating approval from the Ethics Committee. In all cases, the participants’ confidentiality was protected. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee at the Funabashi Orthopedic Hospital, with protocol number 2013020.

Consent to participate

We explained the purpose of this research study to each participant, informed every participant that data about them would be submitted for publication, and obtained informed consent.

Consent for publication

All procedures used in this research were approved by the Ethics Committee at the Funabashi Orthopedic Hospital.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Takahashi, M., Iwamoto, K., Tomita, K. et al. Contribution of the Craig’s test to hip internal rotation among baseball players. Sport Sci Health 19, 791–796 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-022-00958-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-022-00958-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation