Magnetic resonance imaging of the rotator cuff muscles after baseball pitching

The purposes of present study were to investigate quantitatively using functional MR imaging the effect of a series of throwing activities on rotator cuff muscles and to compare the effect of pitching with that of all-out shoulder external rotator exercise as the targeted external rotator muscle gro...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness 2003-12, Vol.43 (4), p.493-499
Main Authors: YANAGISAWA, O, NIITSU, M, TAKAHASHI, H, ITAI, Y
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Baseball - physiology
Biological and medical sciences
Exercise - physiology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Injuries
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Research Design
Rotator Cuff - pathology
Rotator Cuff - physiology
Shoulder - physiology
Sports Medicine
Task Performance and Analysis
Team Sports
Vertebrates: body movement. Posture. Locomotion. Flight. Swimming. Physical exercise. Rest. Sports
Water
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Summary:The purposes of present study were to investigate quantitatively using functional MR imaging the effect of a series of throwing activities on rotator cuff muscles and to compare the effect of pitching with that of all-out shoulder external rotator exercise as the targeted external rotator muscle group (the infraspinatus and the teres minor). MRI measurements after 135 baseball pitches or all-out shoulder external rotator exercise (concentric mode) in each subject's nondominant shoulder. 6 amateur baseball pitchers. serial T2-weighted images of rotator cuff muscles were obtained before pitching (or shoulder exercise) and immediately, 30, 60 min, 24, 48, 96 hrs after pitching (or shoulder exercise). T2 relaxation times (T2) at each measurement time were calculated for the rotator cuff muscles. Both the supraspinatus and the external rotator muscle group showed significant T2 elevations until 96 hrs after pitching. The subscapularis also showed significantly increased T2 until postpitching 48 hrs. On the other hand, a significant T2 elevation continued until 60 min after shoulder exercise, but thereafter returned towards the value at rest over the next 24 hrs. Long lasting T2 elevations in rotator cuff muscles would be associated with an increase in each intramuscular water content, and may be attributed to the muscle damage that resulted from eccentric contraction during pitching. This information should serve as a useful complement to shoulder injury prevention for baseball pitchers.
ISSN:0022-4707
1827-1928