bone changes

What happens to the bones in throwers?
The humerus is the arm bone, and the head of the humerus is the ball of the ball-and-socket joint of the shoulder. The humeral head, seen on the anatomy page, does not sit perfectly centered on the shaft of the humerus, but is rather slightly twisted and offset in the normal shoulder. The amount of the twist and offset are different in throwers as a result of the bone enduring repeated stresses of throwing for years during the growth of the bone. This is perfectly normal for throwers, and is not unhealthy unless the amount of twisting and offset are excessive.

Also, bone spurs can develop on the socket or on the ball. These are usually not considered normal and are most often seen in throwers who are having problems with their shoulder.

What does it feel like?
The normal difference in the twist and offset of the humeral head that is seen in throwers does not cause symptoms. With bone spurs, the truth is that they themselves do not cause pain, but they are a sign the doctor can see on xrays that indicate an underlying problem.

How are they treated?
No treatment is needed for this normal difference in position of the humeral head as this is not considered to cause problems. If it is very excessive, there is no treatment that can reliably return a thrower to throwing well, but again that is very rare.

If a condition associated with a bone spur needs to be treated, it often requires surgery and 9-12 months' time to recover.