Protecting your Youth League Pitcher’s Elbow
Protecting your Youth League Pitcher’s Elbow
Richard B. Jones, M.D.
Sports Medicine Orthopaedic Surgeon
Now that spring is finally here baseball is in full swing. Boys and girls of all ages will be participating in baseball or softball at various levels into the fall. Youth leagues have been tremendously popular and become more and more competitive over the last decade. Even though these are extremely safe sports, pitching poses some unique injury risks to these skeletally immature athletes.
The throwing motion places extreme stress across the elbow. Tension forces are produced on the medial or inside of the elbow while compressive forces occur on the lateral or outside of the elbow. Over time, these forces can cause injury to the immature growth plates or cartilage of the child’s elbow. The injuries occurring to the elbow in these young athletes have been referred to as “ Little Leaguer’s Elbow.”
Athletes with “Little Leaguer’s Elbow” typically develop pain first on the inside of the elbow with the early stages of the throwing motion. It will become worse the more they throw and may begin to hurt with other activities besides throwing. If pitching continues more serious injury to cartilage on the outside of the elbow can occur. This may cause pain on the outside of the elbow or even locking and popping of the elbow.
Changes in little league rules have drastically improved this problem, but unfortunately have not eliminated it. The American Sports Medicine Institute has numerous recommendations regarding youth pitching. First, until approximately age 14, athletes should not throw curve balls. Fast ball and change up pitches only. Slider pitches are more safely thrown after age 16. Next, they recommend pitching be limited to 2 appearances per week, with the number of pitches per appearance limited based on the athlete’s age. For example, at age 10 the appearance should be limited to 50 pitches; at age 13: 75 pitches; age 15: 90 pitches and age 17: 105 pitches.
In summary, youth baseball is an extremely safe and successful sport. However, pitchers have some unique injury risks to the elbow and should be monitored closely. Persistent elbow pain in a youth pitcher should be evaluated by a sports medicine orthopedist familiar with this type of injury.
Richard B. Jones, M.D.
Southeastern Sports Medicine
828-274-4555