HOME HELP CONTACT US SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:
Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Noffal, G. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Noffal, G. J. Related Collections Rehabilitation/Training

Isokinetic Eccentric-to-Concentric Strength Ratios of the Shoulder Rotator Muscles in Throwers and Nonthrowers

From California State University, Fullerton, California

^* Address correspondence and reprint requests to Guillermo J. Noffal, PhD, CSCS, California State University, Fullerton, Division of Kinesiology and Health Promotion, 800 North State College Boulevard, Fullerton, CA, 92834-6870

Background: One of the possible mechanisms leading to shoulder injury may be a strength imbalance between those muscles that accelerate the upper limb and those responsible for deceleration. Many studies have examined shoulder balance through a concentric strength ratio of external and internal shoulder rotator muscles.

Hypothesis: A functional external eccentric-to-internal concentric ratio may be a better identifier of muscular imbalance in dominant and nondominant shoulders of throwers and nonthrowers.

Study Design: Controlled laboratory study.

Methods: Eccentric external and concentric internal peak torques were measured bilaterally in 59 men (16 throwers and 43 nonthrowers) at 300 deg/sec. Subjects were tested in the supine position with the shoulder abducted to 90° and the elbow flexed to 90°.

Results: Throwers exhibited significantly lower ratios than nonthrowers in their dominant limb; there was no difference between groups for the nondominant limb.

Conclusions: The lower ratio in the throwers’ dominant limb was attributed to significantly greater concentric internal rotation torques without concomitant eccentric external torque gains.

Clinical Relevance: Rehabilitation and injury prevention regimens that include functional exercises to improve eccentric external rotation strength may bring more balance to the dominant shoulder of throwing athletes.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				B Elliott Biomechanics and tennis. Br. J. Sports Med., May 1, 2006; 40(5): 392 - 396. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Forthomme, J.-L. Croisier, G. Ciccarone, J.-M. Crielaard, and M. Cloes Factors Correlated With Volleyball Spike Velocity Am. J. Sports Med., October 1, 2005; 33(10): 1513 - 1519. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]