Biomechanical Factors Affecting Dave Dravecky's Return to Competitive Pitching: A Case Study

Candice L. Schachter, P B Canham, M F Mottola

Dave Dravecky, pitcher for the San Francisco Giants, returned to competition 10 months after surgical removal of a desmoid tumor in the deltoid muscle and cryosurgery of the humerus of his pitching arm. While delivering a pitch, Dravecky sustained a spiral fracture of his humerus. Abnormal loading and muscle balance, changes in bone geometry, stress concentration, and fatigue failure may have contributed to the fracture that halted Dave Dravecky's comeback. Exploration of these biomechanical factors may help the reader contemplate a baseball pitcher's return to high performance after musculoskeletal injury, trauma, and surgery.

J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 1992;16(1):2-5.

Key Words: biomechanical factors, humeral fracture, throwing

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