Ulnar Collateral Ligament Hybrid Reconstruction Surgery & Rehabilitation in the Overhead Athlete
Injuries to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), have become increasingly prevalent among overhead-throwing athletes, especially baseball pitchers. From 2011 to 2023, UCL injuries were the most common injury in Major League Baseball (MLB). Contributing factors include high pitching velocity, fatigue...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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North American Sports Medicine Institute
2025-02-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.26603/001c.128512 |
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| author | Keith M Meister Daniel Evans Kevin E Wilk Christopher A Arrigo |
| author_facet | Keith M Meister Daniel Evans Kevin E Wilk Christopher A Arrigo |
| author_sort | Keith M Meister |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Injuries to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), have become increasingly prevalent among overhead-throwing athletes, especially baseball pitchers. From 2011 to 2023, UCL injuries were the most common injury in Major League Baseball (MLB). Contributing factors include high pitching velocity, fatigue, overuse, and year-round pitching. Research indicates that 25% of MLB pitchers and 14% of Minor League pitchers have undergone UCL surgery, with these numbers steadily rising. After traditional UCL reconstruction, 83% of athletes return to the same or higher levels of play. While the success rate for UCL
surgery is high, revision surgeries are becoming more frequent, with mixed outcomes. This underscores the need for improved surgical techniques and rehabilitation strategies. The hybrid UCL reconstruction technique presents a reliable and effective solution for treating UCL injuries, combining the benefits of autogenous grafting with internal brace augmentation. Current research, however, lacks focus on the surgical technique and rehabilitation following UCL hybrid surgery. Achieving successful outcomes with this procedure relies on a collaborative approach, from surgery to rehabilitation with adherence to the rehabilitation protocol and throwing program. Full recovery typically requires 12-14 months, depending on the athlete's level of play. With over 400 successful surgeries to date, this technique has proven to enhance stability and facilitate recovery, particularly in elite-level throwing athletes. The purpose of this paper is to describe this new surgical technique and its associated rehabilitation programs, emphasizing the importance of rehabilitation under the guidance of a rehabilitation professional experienced with overhead athletes.
Level of Evidence: 5 |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b98e7bc2d17a40eabe27e41d3878be78 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2159-2896 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | North American Sports Medicine Institute |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy |
| spelling | doaj-art-b98e7bc2d17a40eabe27e41d3878be782025-02-01T02:57:04ZengNorth American Sports Medicine InstituteInternational Journal of Sports Physical Therapy2159-28962025-02-01202Ulnar Collateral Ligament Hybrid Reconstruction Surgery & Rehabilitation in the Overhead AthleteKeith M MeisterDaniel EvansKevin E WilkChristopher A ArrigoInjuries to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), have become increasingly prevalent among overhead-throwing athletes, especially baseball pitchers. From 2011 to 2023, UCL injuries were the most common injury in Major League Baseball (MLB). Contributing factors include high pitching velocity, fatigue, overuse, and year-round pitching. Research indicates that 25% of MLB pitchers and 14% of Minor League pitchers have undergone UCL surgery, with these numbers steadily rising. After traditional UCL reconstruction, 83% of athletes return to the same or higher levels of play. While the success rate for UCL surgery is high, revision surgeries are becoming more frequent, with mixed outcomes. This underscores the need for improved surgical techniques and rehabilitation strategies. The hybrid UCL reconstruction technique presents a reliable and effective solution for treating UCL injuries, combining the benefits of autogenous grafting with internal brace augmentation. Current research, however, lacks focus on the surgical technique and rehabilitation following UCL hybrid surgery. Achieving successful outcomes with this procedure relies on a collaborative approach, from surgery to rehabilitation with adherence to the rehabilitation protocol and throwing program. Full recovery typically requires 12-14 months, depending on the athlete's level of play. With over 400 successful surgeries to date, this technique has proven to enhance stability and facilitate recovery, particularly in elite-level throwing athletes. The purpose of this paper is to describe this new surgical technique and its associated rehabilitation programs, emphasizing the importance of rehabilitation under the guidance of a rehabilitation professional experienced with overhead athletes. Level of Evidence: 5https://doi.org/10.26603/001c.128512 |
| spellingShingle | Keith M Meister Daniel Evans Kevin E Wilk Christopher A Arrigo Ulnar Collateral Ligament Hybrid Reconstruction Surgery & Rehabilitation in the Overhead Athlete International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy |
| title | Ulnar Collateral Ligament Hybrid Reconstruction Surgery & Rehabilitation in the Overhead Athlete |
| title_full | Ulnar Collateral Ligament Hybrid Reconstruction Surgery & Rehabilitation in the Overhead Athlete |
| title_fullStr | Ulnar Collateral Ligament Hybrid Reconstruction Surgery & Rehabilitation in the Overhead Athlete |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ulnar Collateral Ligament Hybrid Reconstruction Surgery & Rehabilitation in the Overhead Athlete |
| title_short | Ulnar Collateral Ligament Hybrid Reconstruction Surgery & Rehabilitation in the Overhead Athlete |
| title_sort | ulnar collateral ligament hybrid reconstruction surgery rehabilitation in the overhead athlete |
| url | https://doi.org/10.26603/001c.128512 |
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