The Effect of Competitive Pitching on the Shoulders and Elbows of Preadolescent Baseball Players

With the advent of Little League Baseball there has developed an awareness of the adverse effect that excessive pitching can have on the growth areas about the shoulder and elbow of the preadolescents. The terms "Little Leaguer's Shoulder" and "Little Leaguer's Elbow" describe distinct clinical entities. In addition to reviewing these problems, an attempt has been made to identify their cause. Specifically, clinical and radiological observations made on a group of 49 preadolescent pitchers who participated in a low-competition, recreational baseball program are reported. Although the data are not conclusive, we believe our observations indicate that the preadolescent should avoid pitching in an intensely competitive situation.