Teenage Pitchers at Higher Risk of Shoulder Injuries Later in Life
Published at
tammykayphoto/iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Teenagers who play baseball, specifically pitchers, are at an increased risk of shoulder injuries later in life, researchers say.
According to a study published in the journal Radiology, young pitchers who throw more than 100 pitches per week are more likely to develop long-term shoulder damage. Acromial apophysiolysis, the incomplete fusion and pain at a bony shoulder structure known as the acromion, was identified in 2.6 percent of participants in the study. In the long term, 68 percent of those with the newly-identified injury were found to have rotator cuff tears later in life, compared to just 29 percent of those who did not have the injury.
The American Sports Medicine Institute currently recommends pitchers between the ages of 15 and 18 play in no more than two games per week, with 50 pitches per game.
Follow @ABCNewsRadio
Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio