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Ulnar collateral ligament repair in professional baseball players
Ajith Malige1, Carlos Uquillas1
1Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
|August 14, 2024
Summary
Ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) repair effectively returns professional baseball players to pre-injury performance levels. This surgical option offers a high return to sport rate for pitchers and positional players in both minor and major leagues.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic surgery
- Sports medicine
- Baseball performance analysis
Background:
- Limited data exists on post-surgical outcomes for ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) tears.
- This study investigates UCL repair effectiveness in professional baseball players.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the return to sport rates and performance levels of professional baseball players after UCL repair.
- To determine if UCL repair can restore players to their pre-injury capabilities.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective analysis of publicly available data from 2016-2021.
- Inclusion criteria: professional baseball players undergoing primary UCL repair with an internal brace.
- Exclusion criteria: amateur players, revision repairs, or UCL reconstructions.
Main Results:
- 11 pitchers (MiLB and MLB) and 7 positional players underwent UCL repair.
- MiLB pitchers returned to play at 17.5 months with similar performance metrics (ERA, WHIP, games played, innings pitched).
- MLB pitchers (80% return) showed similar ERAs and WHIPs post-surgery, despite fewer games and innings pitched.
Conclusions:
- UCL repair is a viable option for pitchers and positional players at all professional levels.
- The procedure facilitates a return to pre-injury performance levels with potentially shorter recovery times.
- UCL repair can be considered for qualifying injuries to optimize post-operative performance.
