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Using sonography for the early detection of elbow injuries among young baseball players
Mikio Harada1, Masatoshi Takahara, Junya Sasaki
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Iida Nishi 2-2-2, Yamagata 990-9585, Japan.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to determine the usefulness of sonography for detecting elbow injuries among young baseball players.
Subjects And Methods:
One hundred fifty-three volunteers ranging in age from 9 to 12 years and belonging to youth baseball teams participated. Sonography of the elbow was performed in the field when baseball exercises were being conducted. We analyzed the relationship between elbow pain and sonographic abnormalities and the relationship between pitchers and sonographic abnormalities.
Results:
Sonography showed that 33 subjects had medial epicondylar fragmentation and two had early-stage osteochondritis dissecans of the capitellum. In 25 subjects who agreed to further examination and treatment, radiography confirmed the sonographic findings. All of the 23 subjects with medial epicondylar fragmentation, who stopped throwing, obtained union of the bone and returned to baseball. The two subjects with osteochondritis dissecans of the capitellum underwent surgery before the osteochondral fragment became loosened. Sonographic abnormalities correlated with episodes of elbow pain. Pitchers statistically significantly had sonographic abnormalities.
Conclusion:
Sonography in the field can provide an opportunity to detect and treat elbow injuries before they become more advanced.
