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A 16-Year-Old Softball Pitcher with a Sore Shoulder

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Mechanics, Pathomechanics and Injury in the Overhead Athlete

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Abstract

Windmill softball pitchers with shoulder pain present similar challenges to diagnosis and management as to overhead throwing athletes. However, there are unique aspects to these athletes given the windmill pitching motion and its biomechanical effects on the shoulder. We present a case of a 16-year-old windmill softball pitcher with anterior shoulder pain. We will provide the reader approaches to the examination of this type of athlete, discuss the importance of a kinetic chain assessment, and review possible imaging modalities and when to obtain them. The importance of understanding the biomechanics of the windmill pitch will further provide details to practitioners that care for this type of an athlete. Finally, treatment, return to play algorithms, and methods to reduce future injury risk will be presented.

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Acknowledgment

We thank Giorgio Zeppieri Jr., MPT, SCS, CSCS for his assistance with the preparation of the return to pitch softball program, which he developed at the University of Florida. We also thank Dr. Heather K. Vincent, PhD and Mr. Cong Chen, MS in the UF Health Sports Performance Center for the preparation of all figures in this chapter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Divisions of PM&R, Sports Medicine, & Research, Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Adolescent & High School Sports Medicine Outreach Program, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA

    Jason L. Zaremski

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  1. Jason L. Zaremski
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Correspondence to Jason L. Zaremski .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Shoulder Center of Kentucky, Lexington Clinic, Lexington, KY, USA

    W. Ben Kibler

  2. Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, KY, USA

    Aaron D. Sciascia

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Zaremski, J.L. (2019). A 16-Year-Old Softball Pitcher with a Sore Shoulder. In: Kibler, W., Sciascia, A. (eds) Mechanics, Pathomechanics and Injury in the Overhead Athlete. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-12775-6_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-12775-6_14

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-12774-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-12775-6

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