Research magazine Science Daily released a recent report stating that “Tommy John” elbow reconstruction surgery has been successful for 83% of baseball players undergoing the procedure. The 2008 American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine Annual Meeting at JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes reported that these athletes were able to return to the same or better level of play following the surgery.
“Tommy John” surgery is a procedure that replaces the Ulnar Collateral Ligament in the elbow with a tendon from another place on the body. It is named after Hall of Fame pitcher Tommy John, who was the first player to have the surgery in 1974. Until Tommy John’s surgery, UCL injuries were considered to be career-ending.
Of the 743 Tommy John surgery patients that were polled, 94.5% were baseball players, and the remaining 5.5% were players of some other sport. A shocking 50% of the surgeries performed were on high school athletes, raising concern regarding the health and care of younger players. Full recovery time following the surgery amounts to almost one year. Minnesota Twins Pitcher Francisco Liriano is reportedly on the verge of being called up to the Majors after missing more than a season and a half due to the surgery.
E. Lyle Cain, MD, fellowship director for the American Sports Medicine Institute, Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham, Alabama, comments that “The reality is that this surgery is successful and that's good. But a disturbing trend of younger kids needing the surgery is troubling. This should be a wake-up call to parents and coaches that specialization in baseball where kids don't get adequate time off is very dangerous." |
