Risk Factors for Elbow and Shoulder Injuries in Adolescent Baseball Players: A Systematic Review:

Background:The incidence of shoulder and elbow injuries among adolescent baseball players is on the rise. These injuries may lead to surgery or retirement at a young age.Purpose:To identify independent risk factors for elbow and shoulder injuries in adolescent baseball players. A secondary aim was to determine whether the literature supports the Major League Baseball and USA Baseball Pitch Smart guidelines.Study Design:Systematic review.Methods:A systematic review was performed in accordance with PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines utilizing MEDLINE, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science. Because of study heterogeneity, a quantitative synthesis was not performed. A qualitative review was performed on 19 independent risk factors for elbow and shoulder injuries in adolescent baseball players. Level of evidence was assigned per the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group, and risk of bias was graded per the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.Results:Twenty-two...