IC 308  

Title: Management of Ulnar Collateral Ligament Tears: Where Do We Stand in 2022?             

Course Description:

Ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries of the elbow are on the rise in overhead athletes of all levels of play. Many of these injuries can be managed non-operatively with rest and a return to throwing program with or without the addition of a biologic to aid in ligament healing. However, a subset necessitates surgical intervention. Surgical techniques have continued to evolve over the past several years and now include a primary UCL repair with internal brace, modified docking technique with added graft strands, and others. Furthermore, as more primary UCL repairs and reconstructions are performed, the number of revision UCL reconstructions has risen proportionally.  The purpose of this instructional course lecture is to review current injury prevention strategies and discuss the epidemiology and evolution of UCL injuries. We will then review the operative and non-operative treatment options and delve into which patients would potentially benefit from non-operative management (with or without the use of biologics) and which patient may benefit from earlier surgical intervention. We will then discuss rehabilitation and how to get these athletes back to sport in a safe and efficient manner.

Learning Objectives

• Understand the prevalence of UCL tears as well as the proper steps to diagnosis
• Understand the various treatment strategies for UCL tears including biologics, UCL repair, and UCL reconstruction
• Understand the different variables involved in each treatment, and how best to decide on each treatment strategy
• Understand differences in rehabilitation between the various treatment strategies and how this impacts decision making and return to sport

Faculty:

Brandon J. Erickson, MD             

Christopher S. Ahmad, MD         

Gregory L. Cvetanovich, MD       

Anthony A. Romeo, MD