Malige Ajith, Uquillas Carlos
Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Clin Shoulder Elb. 2024 Sep;27(3):278-285. doi: 10.5397/cise.2023.01109. Epub 2024 May 29.
While initial reports of surgical repair of ulnar collateral ligament tears are promising, studies detailing post-repair outcomes are lacking. This study explores the effectiveness of ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) repair in returning professional baseball players to their pre-injury level of play. Our hypothesis is that professional baseball players undergoing UCL repair will have successful outcomes and high return to sport rates after surgery.
Publicly available databases were utilized to search for data on professional baseball players who underwent UCL repair from 2016 to 2021. Players undergoing primary UCL repair with an internal brace were included. Amateur players were excluded as were those undergoing revision UCL repair or UCL reconstruction.
Of the 11 pitchers who underwent UCL repair, minor league baseball (MiLB) pitchers returned to the sport at an average of 17.5 months. MiLB pitchers had similar earned run averages (ERAs), games played, innings pitched, and walks plus hits per inning pitched ratios (WHIPs) before and after surgery. Four major league baseball (MLB) pitchers (80%) returned to the sport at 9.55 months. MLB pitchers played fewer games and pitched fewer innings than before the surgery, but their ERAs and WHIPs were similar before and after surgery. Pitch velocity and spin rates after surgery varied based on pitch type. The seven positional players who underwent UCL repair showed no differences in batting or fielding performance before and after surgery.
UCL repair can successfully return both pitchers and positional players at both the MiLB and MLB levels to play at pre-injury performance levels. Repair can be considered as an option for qualifying injuries in players hoping to maximize performance after surgery with minimal recovery time. Level of Evidence: IV.
虽然关于尺侧副韧带撕裂手术修复的初步报告很有前景，但缺乏详细描述修复后结果的研究。本研究探讨尺侧副韧带（UCL）修复在使职业棒球运动员恢复到受伤前比赛水平方面的有效性。我们的假设是，接受UCL修复的职业棒球运动员术后将取得成功的结果并具有较高的重返运动率。
利用公开可用的数据库搜索2016年至2021年接受UCL修复的职业棒球运动员的数据。纳入接受带内支架的初次UCL修复的运动员。排除业余运动员以及接受UCL修复翻修或UCL重建的运动员。
在接受UCL修复的11名投手中，美国小联盟棒球（MiLB）投手平均在17.5个月后重返这项运动。MiLB投手在手术前后的平均自责分率（ERA）、比赛场次、投球局数以及每局上垒率（WHIP）相似。四名美国职业棒球大联盟（MLB）投手（80%）在9.55个月后重返这项运动。MLB投手比赛场次和投球局数比手术前少，但他们手术前后的ERA和WHIP相似。手术后的投球速度和旋转速率因投球类型而异。接受UCL修复的七名内场手在手术前后的击球或防守表现没有差异。
UCL修复能够成功地使MiLB和MLB级别的投手和内场手都恢复到受伤前的表现水平。对于希望在术后以最短恢复时间最大化表现的球员，修复可被视为符合条件的损伤的一种选择。证据等级：IV级。
