Understanding Shoulder and Elbow Injuries in the Windmill Softball Pitcher

Abstract

Although pitching-related injuries in the overhead athlete have been studied extensively, injuries associated with windmill pitching are not as clearly elucidated. Windmill pitching produces high forces and torques in the upper extremity, and studies have shown it creates similar shoulder and elbow joint loads to those reported in baseball pitchers. Studies have shown that the windmill pitching motion generates high levels of biceps activation with an eccentric load, placing the biceps at increased risk for overuse injuries. Although the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine published prevention guidelines including recommendations for maximum pitch counts in softball, these recommendations have not been adopted by most United States softball governing bodies. The repetitive windmill motion in conjunction with high pitch count demands in competitive softball creates notable challenges for the sports medicine physician. As with overhead throwing athletes, identifying and preventing overuse is crucial in preventing injuries in the windmill pitcher, and prevention and rehabilitation should focus on optimizing mechanics and kinematics, core, hip, and lower body strength, and recognition of muscle fatigue. With more than two million fastpitch softball participants in the United States, it is essential to better understand the etiology, evaluation, and prevention of injuries in the windmill pitching athlete.