Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.
Orthop J Sports Med. 2014 Feb 24;2(2):2325967114522592. doi: 10.1177/2325967114522592. eCollection 2014 Feb.
The medial ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) is the primary restraint to valgus load, and injury is commonly encountered as a result of overuse in throwing athletes. Reconstruction of this ligament has allowed for a high rate of return to sport for elite pitchers. Public perception of this procedure has resulted in a commonly held belief of increased throwing velocity following UCL reconstruction.
Fastball velocity for Major League Baseball (MLB) pitchers is significantly decreased following UCL reconstruction.
Case series; Level of evidence, 4.
A total of 129 pitchers were identified as undergoing UCL reconstruction from publicly available reports, and a final group of 80 MLB pitchers were included for analysis. Statistics were collected, including pitch velocity, pitch selection, and performance outcomes. Pre- and postoperative statistics were compared using paired t tests to allow for evaluation of each pitcher relative to his baseline velocity and performance.
Mean fastball velocity was significantly decreased following UCL reconstruction, with a presurgical mean velocity of 91.3 mph and postoperative velocity of 90.6 mph (P = .003). The greatest observed difference was in pitchers older than 35 years, with fastball velocity decreasing from 91.7 to 88.8 mph (P = .0048). Pitchers threw fewer fastballs after reconstruction. Pitch velocity for curveballs, changeups, and sliders did not change significantly after UCL reconstruction. Additionally, pitchers threw fewer innings and pitches following reconstruction and produced fewer wins above replacement relative to their preinjury state.
Contrary to popular opinion, fastball velocity for MLB pitchers is significantly decreased following UCL reconstruction, which should reinforce the importance of preventing overuse injuries.
尺侧副韧带（UCL）是对抗外翻负荷的主要约束结构，在投掷运动员中过度使用会导致常见的损伤。重建该韧带可使精英投手的高比例重返运动。公众对该手术的看法导致人们普遍认为 UCL 重建后投掷速度会增加。
美国职业棒球大联盟（MLB）投手的快球速度在 UCL 重建后显著下降。
病例系列；证据水平，4 级。
共有 129 名投手因 UCL 重建而从公开报告中确定，并最终纳入 80 名 MLB 投手进行分析。收集了包括投球速度、投球选择和表现结果在内的统计数据。使用配对 t 检验比较术前和术后的统计数据，以允许评估每个投手相对于他的基线速度和表现。
UCL 重建后，平均快球速度显著下降，术前平均速度为 91.3 英里/小时，术后速度为 90.6 英里/小时（P =.003）。观察到的最大差异是 35 岁以上的投手，快球速度从 91.7 英里/小时下降到 88.8 英里/小时（P =.0048）。重建后投手投出的快球更少。UCL 重建后，曲线球、变速球和滑球的投球速度没有明显变化。此外，投手在重建后投的局数和投球数减少，与受伤前相比，投手的胜场数也减少。
与普遍看法相反，UCL 重建后 MLB 投手的快球速度显著下降，这应强调预防过度使用损伤的重要性。
