Characterization of glenoid bone remodeling in professional baseball pitchers

Objective To characterize the appearance, location, severity, and prevalence of focal glenoid retroversion on shoulder MRI in professional baseball pitchers versus age-matched controls. Materials and methods In this retrospective review, two musculoskeletal radiologists evaluated shoulder MRI examinations from 40 professional baseball pitchers and 40 age-matched controls. Images were scored for the presence of a focal posterior glenoid convexity and the clock face positions involved. A consensus interpretation was also performed. A third reader identified the presence of additional shoulder abnormalities. Results After consensus, 60% (24/40) of pitchers were found to have focal glenoid retroversion versus 20% (8/40) of controls ( p = 0.001). The most apparent location was posterior or posterior-superior, from 7.75 o’clock to 10.5 o’clock (median, 9.75 o’clock; interquartile range, 9.25–10 o’clock). The median clock angle of involvement was greater in pitchers than in controls (30° vs. 0°; p