Editorial Commentary: Baseline Motion Analysis of Baseball Pitchers Provides a Valuable Tool for Evaluation, Rehabilitation, and Return to Play Should Injury Occur

Abstract

The role of motion analysis to study throwing athletes has blossomed as the technology resolution and accuracy have continued to improve and the relative cost has decreased. As applied to baseball pitchers, including professionals, a challenge is the wide spectrum of pitching motion that successful, uninjured pitchers demonstrate. Although most pitching coaches agree on some common elements of effective pitching mechanics, each pitcher may have specific and unique characteristics of delivery. These are related to the player's age, workload, conditioning, and genetic aspects. Perhaps the best "control" when evaluating throwing kinematics in an injured pitcher is the same athlete before injury. Although the data may not always be available, obtaining baseline motion analysis (in spring training, preseason, and so on) for high-risk players (pitchers) would be optimal. This information may serve as a rehabilitation and training tool for research and may help to facilitate "return-to-play" determination. Preinjury and post-treatment kinematics assist with the initial evaluation and subsequent treatment of the injured athlete. Furthermore, this information may elucidate the cause of the abnormal kinematics, that is, whether the injury caused the irregular motion or the abnormal kinematics induced the injury.