“Tommy John” Surgeries: Pearls, Pitfalls, and Protocols (AAOS Now)
A roundtable on treating ulnar collateral ligament overuse injuries
The incidence of ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) overuse injuries has increased substantially in recent years—and not only among major league baseball players. According to the results of one study, about 60 percent of professional pitchers had a precipitating minor injury to the UCL when they were in youth baseball.
Recently, AAOS Now editorial board member Frank B. Kelly, MD,discussed this injury with the following leaders in the field:
James R. Andrews, MD, a founding member of Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham, Ala., a member of the Medical and Safety Advisory Committee of USA Baseball and the Board of Little League Baseball, Inc., and medical director of the Tampa Bay Rays
James P. Bradley, MD, clinical professor of orthopaedic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, team physician for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and consultant for the Miami Marlins
Thomas John Noonan, MD, of the Steadman Hawkins Clinic in Denver, Colo., and head team physician for the Colorado Rockies major league baseball team
Neal...
