We referred these questions to Dr. Kenneth E. DeHaven, Orthopedist of the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, and to Mr. Creighton J. Hale, Vice President, Little League Baseball, Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Excerpts from their answers follow:
The risks of serious or permanent injury to the elbow are the same as for pitchers of any age, namely, medial tension overload, lateral joint compression syndromes, and extensor overload. In addition, the preadolescent pitcher runs the risk of medial epicondylar epiphysitis.