CC2023: Return to Sport After Nonoperative Management of Elbow Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injuries: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (December 2023)-Return to Sport After Nonoperative Management of Elbow Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injuries A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Return to Sport After Nonoperative Management of Elbow Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injuries A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

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Pdf Summary

The document is a systematic review and meta-analysis investigating the rate of return to sports (RTS) and return to previous level of play (RTLP) in athletes with elbow ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries treated nonoperatively. The study included 15 articles involving 365 patients, primarily baseball players, with a mean age of 20.45 years. Treatment methods varied, with some patients receiving platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections along with physical therapy, and others undergoing physical therapy alone. The overall RTS rate was 79.7%, and the overall RTLP rate was 77.9%. The study found that proximal tears had a significantly higher RTS rate compared to distal tears. No significant difference was observed in RTS rates between patients treated with PRP injections versus those treated without PRP. The document highlights the importance of understanding the indications for nonoperative management based on injury severity and athlete characteristics to optimize recovery and successful RTS. The study also sheds light on the need for standardized rehabilitation protocols for athletes with UCL injuries to facilitate safe return to play. Limitations included the predominance of baseball players in the study population, resulting in unclear RTS rates for athletes in non-overhead and contact sports, and the need for higher-level evidence to compare nonoperative versus operative management outcomes. The study underscores the need for detailed reporting and further research to determine optimal treatment protocols for UCL injuries.

Keywords

Systematic review

Meta-analysis

Return to sports

Return to previous level of play

Elbow ulnar collateral ligament injuries

Nonoperative treatment

Platelet-rich plasma injections

Rehabilitation protocols

Injury severity

Athlete characteristics