Ostrander Roger V, Anz Adam W, Jordan Steve E, Kee James, Truett Jessi, Williams Cooper, Andrews James R
Department of Research, Andrews Research & Education Foundation, Gulf Breeze, Florida, USA.
Orthop J Sports Med. 2025 Jun 23;13(6):23259671251344228. doi: 10.1177/23259671251344228. eCollection 2025 Jun.
The ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) plays a vital role in maintaining the stability of the elbow joint during overhead throwing activities. Stress to the UCL may lead to high-grade or full-thickness tears that require reconstruction or repair and lengthy rehabilitation in athletes. Workup of these injuries can sometimes reveal ossification in the ligament. It is unknown if ossification in the UCL affects postoperative outcomes.
PURPOSE/HYPOTHESIS: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether different preoperative ossification conditions of the UCL might influence various clinical and return-to-play (RTP) outcomes in athletes undergoing UCL reconstruction (UCLR). It was hypothesized that patients with preoperative ossification conditions in the UCL who underwent reconstruction would experience comparable rates of RTP and level of competition compared with all players undergoing UCLR.
Case series; Level of evidence, 4.
An internal search was conducted to identify all cases of UCLR performed by 3 participating surgeons at the Andrews Institute between 2007 and 2022. Patients who had undergone primary UCLR and showed radiographic evidence of UCL ossification were included for analysis if they were ≥2 years after reconstruction. Retrospective chart reviews were performed for all included patients, and their radiographs were categorized by location of ossification. Differences in age, level of play, range of motion, and RTP status between patients with different ossification types were evaluated.
Between August 2007 and December 2022, 386 patients who underwent UCLR at the Andrews Institute were identified. Among these patients, 26% (n = 100) were found to have ossified UCLs. However, only 79 of these patients had complete medical records and were included in the analysis. Among the 79 athletes in this study with ossified ligaments, 71 (90%) who underwent UCLR returned to competitive sports. Athletes exhibited various classification conditions, including heavily calcified ligaments, calcified sublime tubercles, and humeral and/or ulnar-sided ossicles. No differences were found in the level of competitive RTP among the ossification groups.
RTP rates in athletes with ossified ligaments are high and comparable with those in the literature across all ossification conditions.
尺侧副韧带（UCL）在过顶投掷活动中对维持肘关节稳定性起着至关重要的作用。尺侧副韧带承受的应力可能导致高级别或全层撕裂，这需要对运动员进行重建或修复以及漫长的康复治疗。对这些损伤的检查有时会发现韧带内有骨化现象。目前尚不清楚尺侧副韧带的骨化是否会影响术后结果。
目的/假设：本研究的目的是调查尺侧副韧带术前不同的骨化情况是否会影响接受尺侧副韧带重建（UCLR）的运动员的各种临床和重返比赛（RTP）结果。研究假设是，与所有接受尺侧副韧带重建的运动员相比，术前尺侧副韧带存在骨化情况且接受重建的患者的重返比赛率和竞技水平相当。
病例系列；证据等级，4级。
进行内部检索，以确定2007年至2022年期间在安德鲁斯研究所由3名参与手术的外科医生实施的所有尺侧副韧带重建病例。接受初次尺侧副韧带重建且有尺侧副韧带骨化影像学证据的患者，如果重建后≥2年，则纳入分析。对所有纳入患者进行回顾性病历审查，并根据骨化部位对其X光片进行分类。评估不同骨化类型患者在年龄、运动水平、活动范围和重返比赛状态方面的差异。
2007年8月至2022年12月期间，在安德鲁斯研究所确定了386例接受尺侧副韧带重建的患者。在这些患者中，发现26%（n = 100）的患者存在尺侧副韧带骨化。然而，这些患者中只有79例有完整的病历并被纳入分析。在本研究的79例韧带骨化的运动员中，71例（90%）接受尺侧副韧带重建后重返竞技运动。运动员表现出各种分类情况，包括韧带重度钙化、结节钙化以及肱骨和/或尺骨侧小骨。各骨化组之间的竞技重返比赛水平没有差异。
韧带骨化的运动员的重返比赛率很高，与所有骨化情况下的文献报道相当。
