Off the Field and Into the Lab

A baseball pitcher winds up to throw a pitch on the mound.

Knights pitchers are participating in an upcoming medical research trial with team doctors Chris Cherian, M.D., and Frank Alberta, M.D. The trial will focus on the forearm ligaments at risk for injury in baseball pitchers.

Knights Baseball Joins Research Project with Hackensack Meridian Health

The Knights baseball team is participating in a research trial this fall with Hackensack Meridian Health. The trial will measure if a forearm-strengthening program can reduce stress on the ulnar collateral ligament, an area of the arm commonly injured by pitchers.

The project, “Does a 12 Week Forearm Strengthening Program Reduce Medial Elbow Gapping in Pitchers?” is being conducted by a research team led by Knights team doctors Chris Cherian, M.D., and Frank Alberta, M.D. The Knights pitchers will serve as a control group and will attend two data-collection sessions. Physicians at Hackensack Meridian Health hope the results will lead to grant funding, and subsequently, literature on the subject.

“This study investigates whether a 12-week forearm-strengthening program can reduce stress on the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) by measuring elbow stability, grip strength, forearm size and pitching mechanics before and after the intervention,” said Cherian. “Using tools like stress ultrasound and motion capture, researchers aim to better understand how targeted muscle development influences elbow joint loading during baseball pitching.”

“Elbow gapping” is a diagnostic measure used to identify instability or injury in the inner elbow. This includes the UCL, a ligament that is commonly torn or injured by pitchers, especially at the collegiate level. These ligament injuries in pitchers have led to Tommy John surgery, which typically sidelines a pitcher for a full year.

Additional study authors are Richard Boergers, an associate professor at Seton Hall University, who has worked with their baseball team on similar projects, and Dr. Brandon Erickson, an orthopedic surgeon.

“For FDU, this research enhances its reputation in sports science, supports athlete health and performance and provides valuable data that can inform training programs for its current and future athletes,” said Cherian.