Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 6, 2026
Author Spotlight: Double Posteromedial Approach for Treating Posterior Cruciate Ligament Cysts
Published on: October 20, 2023
Return to Sport Criteria and Outcomes in Javelin Athletes Following Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction: a
Background:
Ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries are common among javelin throwers and surgical intervention is the preferred treatment method. Universally accepted javelin-specific return-to-sport (RTS) guidelines would benefit healthcare providers in returning athletes safely to the sport.
Purpose:
To systematically assess the current literature for RTS criteria and identify gaps and opportunities for developing javelin-specific return to throwing (RTT) and RTS recommendations.
Study Design:
Systematic review.
Methods:
A Boolean search related to javelin, UCL surgery, RTS was performed using PubMed/Medline, ProQuest, PEDro, Scopus, CINAHL, Cochrane, EMBASE, and SPORTDiscus databases. Studies published between 2000, and May 2024 were included if they had a population of javelin athletes of any level of competition who underwent UCL reconstruction (UCLR) with a minimum follow-up of one year.
Results:
Four studies met inclusion criteria for this review with a total population of 34 athletes (mean age, all studies: 19.7 years) and an average follow-up period of 3.8 years for all studies. Of the 34 athletes, 82% returned to any level of play at an average of 11.2 months post-surgery, with 70.1% returning to their previous level of competition. Only one study provided a specific RTT program, which included stepwise progressions for number, effort, quality, and distance for throws and javelin weights used for each program phase.
Conclusion:
This review found no studies providing guidelines for RTT/RTS criteria for javelin athletes following UCLR that emphasized objective measures of rehabilitation progress and completion. Further research on post-surgical physical function and subsequent programming tailored to the demands of javelin athletes is needed to guide safe return to sport.
Level Of Evidence:
3a.
