06 Apr More than three strikes and your out
If your not familiar with orthopedic medicine and Birmingham Alabama, you likelly have heard of many famous professional athletes on ESPN who have been treated there by Dr. James Andrews, one of the leading experts in orthopedic sports medicine. This study out of Birmingham bears his name and is a must read for coaches, parents and anyone affiliated with youth baseball.
ScienceDaily (Feb. 2, 2011) — For years, sports medicine professionals have talked about youth pitching injuries and the stress the motion causes on developing bones and muscles. In a new, 10-year study published in the February issue of the American Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers showed that participants who pitched more than 100 innings in a year were 3.5 times more likely to be injured. The study followed 481 pitchers for 10-years (1999-2008). All were healthy, active youth (aged 9 to 14 years) baseball pitchers at the beginning of the study. Based on this study, we recommend that pitchers in high school and younger pitch no more than 100 innings in competition in any calendar year. Some pitchers need to be limited even more, as no pitcher should continue to pitch when fatigued,” said Glenn S. Fleisig, PhD, of the American Sports Medicine Institute in Birmingham, Alabama.