IC 207

Management of Ulnar Collateral Ligament Tears: Where Do We Stand in 2023?

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 roundtable is to review the most up to date strategies for treatment of UCL injuries including the use of biologics, UCL repair, primary UCL reconstruction, and revision UCL reconstruction. The panel will review several complete cases and will work through each case from diagnosis to management to return to play. The participants will be taken through each case and asked how they would proceed at varying steps in management. The faculty will provide pearls based on their experience in dealing with these difficult cases.

Learning Objectives:

• • To understand the current evidence regarding clinical and imaging evaluation of ulnar collateral ligament tears
  • To understand the current evidence regarding surgical reconstruction of ulnar collateral ligament tears
  • To understand the current evidence regarding surgical repair of ulnar collateral ligament tears
  • To understand the current evidence regarding post-operative rehabilitation protocols and return to play after surgical management of ulnar collateral ligament tears

Faculty:

Brandon J Erickson, MD

Eric N. Bowman, MD

Peter N. Chalmers, MD

Gregory L. Cvetanovich, MD

Anthony A. Romeo, MD