Outcomes After Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction and Repair in Nonthrowing Athletes

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Sports Medicine
• Reconstructive Surgery

Background:

• Surgical management of ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) tears in non-throwing athletes is infrequently performed.
• Outcomes data for surgical UCL repair or reconstruction in this specific population are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the clinical outcomes of surgical management for UCL injuries in non-throwing athletes.
• To evaluate patient satisfaction and return to play rates after UCL surgery in this cohort.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 19 non-throwing athletes undergoing UCL reconstruction or repair between 2010-2020.
• Data collected included demographics, surgical procedure, graft type, complications, patient satisfaction, return to play (RTP), and patient-reported outcomes (PROs).
• Follow-up duration exceeded 2 years for all included patients.

Main Results:

• 19 non-throwing athletes (12 reconstruction, 7 repair) met inclusion criteria; mean age 20.1 years.
• Overall, 68.4% returned to play after an average of 9.5 months, with 76.9% returning at the same or higher competition level.
• Repair group showed a higher RTP rate (85.7%) compared to reconstruction (58.3%).

Conclusions:

• Surgical management of UCL injuries in non-throwing athletes can yield high rates of good-to-excellent patient-reported outcomes and satisfaction.
• Return to play timelines may be earlier than in throwing athletes, but overall RTP rates might be slightly lower.
• Both UCL reconstruction and repair are viable surgical options for non-throwing athletes with UCL tears.