Avulsion fracture of the ulnar sublime tubercle in overhead throwing athletes

BACKGROUND: Injuries to the ulnar collateral ligament are relatively common in throwing athletes and result from either acute traumatic or repeated valgus stress to the elbow. Avulsion fracture of the sublime tubercle of the ulna is a rarely reported site of ulnar collateral ligament injury. PURPOSE: We retrospectively reviewed our cases of ulnar collateral ligament injuries to study avulsion fractures of the sublime tubercle of the ulna. STUDY DESIGN: Case series. METHODS: Data, including radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging scans, were obtained by review of hospital and office records and by follow-up examination. Of 33 consecutive patients treated for ulnar collateral ligament injuries, 8 had avulsion fractures of the sublime tubercle of the ulna. All eight were male baseball players with dominant arm involvement, an average age of 16.9 years, and an average follow-up of 23.6 months. RESULTS: Six of eight patients had failure of nonoperative treatment and required surgical repair. Two of the six underwent ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction and four had direct repair of the sublime tubercle avulsion with bioabsorbable suture anchors. At last follow-up, all eight had returned to their preinjury level of activity. No patient had residual medial elbow pain or laxity. CONCLUSIONS: Diagnosis of sublime tubercle avulsion fracture is made with history, physical examination, and radiographic studies. Magnetic resonance imaging can help identify an avulsion fracture not visible radiographically and can help determine whether direct repair or reconstruction is needed.     

The modified docking procedure for elbow ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction: 2-year follow-up in elite throwers

BACKGROUND: Ulnar collateral ligament injury is most common in the overhead-throwing athlete. Jobe et al published the first report of ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction in throwing athletes with a 62.5% success rate. Recently, Altchek developed a new docking technique for reconstruction of the ulnar collateral ligament. The authors report the first series using a further modification of the docking technique using a 4-strand palmaris longus graft for reconstruction of the ulnar collateral ligament. HYPOTHESIS: The modified docking technique yields a high rate of successful return to preinjury level of competition in elite baseball players. STUDY DESIGN: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. METHODS: The authors retrospectively reviewed 25 elite professional or scholarship collegiate baseball players who underwent elbow ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction using the modified docking procedure with a minimum 2-year follow-up. RESULTS: Twenty-three of 25 (92%) were able to return to their preinjury levels of competition. The mean time to return was 11.5 months (range, 10-16 months). Complications included 1 transient postoperative ulnar nerve neurapraxia and 1 stress fracture of the ulnar bone bridge that occurred at 14 months postoperatively, after a full return to pitching. CONCLUSION: The modified docking technique yields highly successful return to preinjury level of competition rates (92%) in a select group of elite baseball players.     

Medial ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction of the elbow in throwing athletes

BACKGROUND: Medial ulnar collateral ligament insufficiency of the elbow can be a devastating injury in the throwing athlete. Reconstruction of the medial ulnar collateral ligament was initially described by Jobe and associates; good clinical results have been described after this procedure. The authors' experience with this technique raised several concerns, and thus the "docking" procedure was developed as an alternative method for medial ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction of the elbow. The early results of the docking technique were good. The authors wish to investigate the intermediate-term clinical results of this method in a large group of athletes. HYPOTHESIS: The docking technique can return overhead-throwing athletes to sport with minimal perioperative morbidity. STUDY DESIGN: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. METHODS: During a 3-year period, 100 consecutive overhead-throwing athletes were treated with surgical reconstruction using the docking technique. The inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) a history of medial elbow pain that prevented throwing, (2) a preoperative standard noncontrast magnetic resonance image demonstrating medial ulnar collateral ligament injury, (3) clinically apparent medial ulnar collateral ligament insufficiency, and (4) an overhead-throwing athlete. At the time of surgery, all patients underwent routine arthroscopic assessment. The ulnar nerve was transposed in 22 cases. The mean follow-up was 36 months (range, 24-60 months). RESULTS: Ninety of 100 (90%) patients were able to compete at the same or a higher level than before medial ulnar collateral ligament injury for more than 12 months as noted at the follow-up interval; 7 patients were able to compete at a lower level. Only 3 patients suffered postoperative complications. CONCLUSION: The docking technique reliably returns athletes to competitive throwing with a low perioperative morbidity.     

Biomechanical evaluation of a new ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction technique with interference screw fixation

BACKGROUND: Techniques for ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction have evolved. HYPOTHESIS: Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction with interference screw fixation restores elbow kinematics and failure strength to that of the native ligament. STUDY DESIGN: Controlled laboratory study. METHODS: Of 10 matched pairs of cadaveric elbows, one underwent kinematic testing under conditions of an intact, released, and reconstructed ligament. Single 5-mm diameter bone tunnels were created at the isometric anatomic insertion sites on the medial epicondyle and sublime tubercle. Graft fixation was achieved with 5 x 15 mm soft tissue interference screws. The reconstructed and contralateral intact elbows were then tested to failure. RESULTS: Average stiffness for intact elbows (42.81 +/- 11.6 N/mm) was significantly greater than for reconstructed elbows (20.28 +/- 12.5 N/mm). Ultimate moment for intact elbows (34.0 +/- 6.9 N.m) was not significantly different from reconstructed elbows (30.6 +/- 19.2 N.m). Release of the ulnar collateral ligament caused a significant increase in valgus instability. Reconstruction restored valgus stability to near that of the intact elbow. CONCLUSIONS: With this reconstruction method, failure strength was comparable with that of the native ligament and physiologic elbow kinematics were reliably restored. Clinical Relevance: This technique returns elbow kinematics to near normal, with less soft tissue dissection and risk of ulnar nerve injury and ease of graft insertion, tensioning, and fixation.     

Anterior cruciate ligament-medial collateral ligament injury: nonoperative management of medial collateral ligament tears with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. A preliminary report.

We present the results of a series of patients who had nonoperative management of the medial collateral ligament with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. From February 1983 through December 1989, 84 of 90 consecutive patients were available for followup (minimum, 1 year; mean, 3.1 years) with a combined anterior cruciate ligament-medial collateral ligament injury (anterior cruciate ligament rupture and medial collateral ligament tear) received surgical management by the same physician. The last 68 of these 84 patients who met the inclusion criteria underwent patellar tendon graft for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, with concomitant nonoperative management of medial collateral ligament tears. Follow-up evaluation consisted of physical examination for medial laxity, range of motion, and isokinetic and KT-1000 testing. Brace use and postoperative level of competition were also recorded. In addition, the patients completed a subjective assessment questionnaire rating pain, swelling, and stability. They also rated overall activity level, and any changes in their ability to do the activities tested: walk, climb stairs, run, jump, or twist. Our results indicate that proper reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament, in conjunction with nonoperative management of tears of the medial collateral ligament in combined anterior cruciate ligament-medial collateral ligament injuries, can given excellent stability and good to excellent functional outcome in patients with combined anterior cruciate ligament-medial collateral ligament injuries.     

PLRI: posterolateral rotatory instability of the elbow

Recurrent and persistent instability of the elbow has long been a source of confusion and dismay for both patients and physicians. Early recognition after elbow injury and careful attention to soft tissue repair during lateral elbow surgery may diminish the incidence of this condition. Repair and reconstruction of the lateral ulnar collateral ligament (LUCL) now offers practical and often successful solutions for patients with posterolateral rotatory instability (PLRI) of the elbow.     

Operative treatment of ulnar collateral ligament injuries of the elbow in athletes

Over a 6-year period, the senior author (JRA) performed 91 ulnar collateral ligament reconstructions (N = 78) or repairs (N = 13). All patients were male and between the ages of 15 and 39 years (average, 21.6). Thirty-seven patients (41%) were professional baseball players, 41 (45%) were collegiate baseball players, and 7 (7.7%) were high school or recreational players. Subcutaneous ulnar nerve transposition with stabilization of the nerve with fascial slings of the flexor pronator mass was performed in all patients, and additional procedures were performed in 27 patients (29.7%), including 22 excisions of posteromedial olecranon osteophytes. Average follow-up was 35.4 months. Ten patients had preoperative ulnar nerve symptoms, nine of whom had complete resolution of symptoms after surgery. Complications occurred in eight patients. The average time from surgery to initiation of the interval throwing program was 3.4 months, and the average time to return to competitive throwing was 9.8 months. Sixty-seven patients (74%) were available for follow-up; of these, 53 (79%) had returned to their previous levels of competition or to a higher level. Reconstruction of the ulnar collateral ligament, with transposition and stabilization of the ulnar nerve and appropriate rehabilitation, was found to be effective in correcting medial instability of the elbow and allowed most athletes to return to previous levels of play in less than 1 year.     

Elbow medial ulnar collateral ligament insufficiency alters posteromedial olecranon contact

BACKGROUND: The effect of elbow medial ulnar collateral ligament injury on posteromedial compartment contact is unknown. HYPOTHESIS: Medial ulnar collateral ligament injury causes altered contact area and pressure in the posteromedial compartment of the elbow. STUDY DESIGN: Controlled laboratory study. METHODS: Seven elbow cadaveric specimens were tested in an apparatus that positioned the elbow at 30 degrees and 90 degrees of flexion. Partial and full tears were simulated by releasing the medial ulnar collateral ligament. Pressure-sensitive film was placed in the posteromedial compartment for each condition. Valgus torques of 1.25 and 2.0 N.m were applied for each ligament condition, and kinematic data were obtained at each flexion angle using a 3-dimensional digitizer. RESULTS: Both ligament condition and valgus load had significant effects on contact area and pressure (P<.05). For a given load and flexion angle, the contact area decreased and the pressure increased with increasing medial ulnar collateral ligament insufficiency. Within these trends, statistical significance was found at 30 degrees of elbow flexion for both area and pressure (P<.05); at 90 degrees of elbow flexion, increasing medial ulnar collateral ligament insufficiency did not significantly affect contact area or pressure (P>.05). DISCUSSION: Medial ulnar collateral ligament insufficiency alters contact area and pressure between the posteromedial trochlea and olecranon and helps explain the development of posteromedial osteophytes.     

Sonography of injury of the ulnar collateral ligament of the elbow—initial experience

Objective The purpose of this study is to describe the sonographic appearance of injuries of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) of the elbow.Design and patients Eight non-professional male baseball pitchers, ages 13–35 years, with medial elbow pain and clinical suspicion of ulnar collateral ligament injury, were referred for imaging. All eight underwent sonography of the affected and contralateral asymptomatic elbow, and six also underwent MR imaging. Neither valgus stress nor power Doppler was used during the sonographic examinations. Time from onset of symptoms to imaging was 1.5 weeks to 6 months. Three patients had surgical confirmation of their injuries, with time from imaging to surgery of 2 days to 9 months.Results In four patients, the UCL was ruptured, manifest sonographically in three cases as discontinuity of the normally hyperechoic ligament with anechoic fluid in the gap and in one case as non-visualization of the ligament with heterogeneous echogenicity in the expected location of the ligament. Two adolescent patients had avulsions of the UCL from the medial epicondyle, with sonographic demonstration of the avulsed echogenic bony fragment in both cases. One patient had a mild sprain, manifest as mild thickening and decreased echogenicity of the ligament sonographically compared with the contralateral normal elbow, with mild surrounding hypoechoic edema. The eighth patient had a small partial tear of the deep surface of the distal aspect of the ligament, visualized as a hypoechoic focus between the deep surface of the ligament and its ulnar attachment.Conclusion Tears of the ulnar collateral ligament are manifested sonographically as non-visualization of the ligament or alteration of the normal morphology.     

Percutaneous lateral ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction

Purpose

Open surgical reconstruction of the lateral ulnar collateral ligament is the standard treatment for symptomatic posterolateral rotatory instability of the elbow. It involves dissection and retraction of the lateral elbow muscles, which have been shown to be secondary stabilizers of the lateral elbow. We introduce a new muscle-protecting technique for single-strand lateral ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction and report on the isometry and primary stability when compared with a conventional muscle-splitting procedure. It was hypothesized that percutaneous lateral ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction provided isometry over the range of motion and that stability was comparable with a conventional open procedure.

Methods

In sixteen human cadaver arms, the intact and the lateral collateral ligament complex-deficient situation was tested. Open lateral ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction was performed using a single-strand palmaris graft with humeral and ulnar tenodesis screw fixation. Posterolateral rotational stability was compared with a new reconstruction method, which percutaneously places a single-strand palmaris graft with humeral and ulnar tenodesis screw fixation.

Results

Both open and percutaneous lateral ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction provided isometry over the range of motion and restored posterolateral stability to that of the intact situation. No significant differences between open and percutaneous reconstruction were found.

Conclusions

Percutaneous lateral ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction aims to preserve the lateral elbow muscles and to minimize soft tissue dissection. It has been shown that in an in vitro setup, this new procedure provides isometry over the range of motion and sufficiently restores posterolateral rotatory stability.     

Lateral ligament injuries of the knee

Between 1982 and 1994 28 patients were treated for acute lateral knee ligament injuries; 25 patients, with a median age of 25.5 (range 16–75) years at injury, appeared for follow-up. Seven patients had isolated injury of the lateral collateral ligament/capsular structures, the remaining 19 patients had concomitant ligament injuries in the knee. Eight patients were treated conservatively, 1 with plaster immobilization and 7 with early mobilization. Eighteen patients underwent surgery, 17 of these within 3 weeks of injury. Repair/reconstruction of the cruciate ligaments was done at the same time as the lateral collateral ligament repair in 10 patients. At follow-up after a median of 7.5 years (range 6 months to 13 years), 11 had no varus instability, 7 had 1+, 5 had 2+, and 2 patients had 3+ varus instability. All patients with a final result of 2+ or 3+ had combined ligament injuries. The surgically treated lateral collateral ligament injuries all had a primary instability of 2+ or more. These patients showed an improvement in varus instability from a mean of 2.83+ preoperatively to a mean of 1.17+ postoperatively. Two-thirds of the surgically treated patients were stable or had a 1+ instability at follow-up. One conservatively treated patient with a 2+varus instability and 1 with 1+ showed no improvement. Five conservatively treated patients with initial varus instability of 1+ were stable at follow-up. One patient with a 1+ varus instability had anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture. He had a primary ACL reconstruction without lateral repair. He had no varus instability at follow-up. Our study supports the notion that operation performed at an early stage in fresh injuries with a varus instability of 2+ or more gives improved stability as a final result. Conservative treatment may not be expected to give an improved stability, but is sufficient in mild varus instability (1+) without additional cruciate ligament injuries. Received: 22 January 1997 Accepted: 20 June 1997     

同种异体跟腱移植物重建内侧副韧带浅层结构治疗膝关节外翻不稳定的临床研究

目的:评估采用同种异体跟腱重建内侧副韧带(MCL)浅层结构对恢复膝关节外翻稳定性的早期临床疗效。方法:回顾性分析2005年8月至2010年12月我科收治的诊断为陈旧膝关节内侧副韧带损伤并符合重建手术指征的患者19例,均采用同种异体跟腱作为移植物。患者入选标准为:1)陈旧MCL损伤,受伤至手术时间超过3周;2)IKDC膝关节外翻不稳定分级为C级[内侧关节间隙开口程度(侧侧差值)为6～10 mm]或D级(内侧关节间隙开口程度大于10 mm);3)随访时间至少12个月。术前、术后采用Telos装置拍摄膝关节外翻位应力像评估内侧结构稳定性。其他评价指标包括IKDC主观功能评分和Lysholm主观功能评分。结果:19例患者中,16例获得随访,其中男性12例,女性4例;平均年龄31.8岁(19～53岁),受伤至手术时间平均17.6个月(24天～84个月),随访时间平均27.8个月(12～67个月)。患者术前膝关节内侧间隙开口程度平均为(8.9±3.1)mm(6～23.2 mm),术后平均(0.1±1.4)mm(-2～2.4 mm),手术前后比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。IKDC主观功能评分术前平均(49.8±6.7)分(31～57.5分),术后平均(82.8±4.8)分(71.3～93.1分),手术前后比较差异有统计学意义。Lysholm评分术前平均(69.3±5.7)分(55～78分),术后平均(88.3±4.6)分(75～95分),手术前后比较差异有统计学意义。16例患者中,术前膝关节外翻稳定性IKDC分级C级12例,D级4例;术后A级14例,B级2例。结论:采用同种异体跟腱重建内侧副韧带浅层结构能够显著改善膝关节外翻稳定性,术后平均2年的随访表明患者主观功能评分满意。     

The "moving valgus stress test" for medial collateral ligament tears of the elbow

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of a painful partial tear of the medial collateral ligament in overhead-throwing athletes is challenging, even for experienced elbow surgeons and despite the use of sophisticated imaging techniques. HYPOTHESIS: The "moving valgus stress test" is an accurate physical examination technique for diagnosis of medial collateral ligament attenuation in the elbow. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2. METHODS: Twenty-one patients underwent surgical intervention for medial elbow pain due to medial collateral ligament insufficiency or other abnormality of chronic valgus overload, and they were assessed preoperatively with an examination called the moving valgus stress test. To perform the moving valgus stress test, the examiner applies and maintains a constant moderate valgus torque to the fully flexed elbow and then quickly extends the elbow. The test is positive if the medial elbow pain is reproduced at the medial collateral ligament and is at maximum between 120 degrees and 70 degrees. RESULTS: The moving valgus stress test was highly sensitive (100%, 17 of 17 patients) and specific (75%, 3 of 4 patients) when compared to assessment of the medial collateral ligament by surgical exploration or arthroscopic valgus stress testing. The mean shear range (ie, the arc within which pain was produced with the moving valgus stress test) was 120 degrees to 70 degrees. The mean angle at which pain was at a maximum was 90 degrees of elbow flexion. CONCLUSIONS: The moving valgus stress test is an accurate physical examination technique that, when performed and interpreted correctly, is highly sensitive for medial elbow pain arising from the medial collateral ligament.     

Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction in major league baseball pitchers

BACKGROUND: Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction is commonly performed in major league pitchers, but little is known about pitching performance after a return to major league play. HYPOTHESIS: Pitching performance after ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction returns to baseline by the second season after surgery. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study (prognosis); Level of evidence, 2. METHODS: Data were reviewed for 68 major league pitchers who pitched in at least 1 major league game before undergoing ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction between 1998 and 2003. Mean innings pitched per season, earned run average, and walks and hits per inning pitched were compared for each major league pitcher before and after surgery. All demographic and performance variables were analyzed for an association with ulnar collateral ligament insufficiency and a successful return to major league play. RESULTS: Fifty-six (82%) pitchers returned to major league play at a mean of 18.5 months after surgery with no significant change in mean earned run average or walks and hits per inning pitched. The mean innings pitched per season was not statistically different from controls by the second season after surgery. Starting pitchers demonstrated a higher risk of ulnar collateral ligament injury requiring reconstruction. More experienced pitchers and those with a higher earned run average were less likely to require ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction. No factors predictive of a successful return to play were identified. CONCLUSION: Most major league pitchers return from ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction by the second season after surgery with no statistical change in mean innings pitched, earned run average, or walks and hits per inning pitched from preinjury levels.     

Biomechanical evaluation of 2 techniques for ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction of the elbow

BACKGROUND: Elbow medial ulnar collateral ligament tears often result in pain and instability that may be career threatening in overhead-throwing athletes. Surgical reconstruction is frequently chosen to treat this injury. Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction as described by Jobe is the most commonly used technique. Testing of this construct has not demonstrated that the biomechanical parameters of the native ligament are restored. A more recent construct, the docking technique, may more reliably reproduce these factors. HYPOTHESIS: Increasing the number of strands of palmaris longus tendon graft used in ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction and tensioning them using the docking technique result in a construct with improved biomechanical parameters as compared with the Jobe technique. STUDY DESIGN: Controlled laboratory study. METHODS: Thirty-three fresh-frozen human cadaveric elbows were randomized into 3 subgroups: Jobe (11), docking (12), and native (10). The Jobe and docking groups underwent reconstruction using their described palmaris tendon graft constructs. The ulnar collateral ligament was left intact in the native group. Elbows were potted and tested using a servohydraulic materials testing machine to apply a valgus moment at 30 degrees of elbow flexion. Maximal moments to failure, stiffness, and strain at maximal moment and with a 3 N.m force applied were determined using a 2-camera motion analysis system to track reflective markers spanning the site. RESULTS: The docking (14.3 N.m) and native (18.8 N.m) subgroups resulted in higher maximal moment to failure than did the Jobe (8.9 N.m) subgroup (P < .001). There was no significant difference between native and docking groups (P > .05). Native ligaments were stiffer (301.4 N.m) than were Jobe (74.3 N.m) or docking (80.8 N.m; P < .001). Native ligaments demonstrated lower strain at maximal force (0.087 mm/mm) and 3 N.m forces (0.030 mm/mm) than did the Jobe (0.198/0.057 mm/mm) or docking (0.287/0.042 mm/mm) subgroups. There was no difference in stiffness or strain between the Jobe and docking subgroups (P > .05). CONCLUSION: Neither technique reproduced the biomechanical profile of the native ulnar collateral ligament; the findings of this study suggest that the docking construct may offer initial biomechanical advantage over the Jobe construct.     

US of the anterior bundle of the ulnar collateral ligament: findings in five cadaver elbows with MR arthrographic and anatomic comparison--initial observations

PURPOSE: To characterize the ultrasonographic (US) appearance of the anterior bundle of the ulnar collateral ligament of the elbow by comparing US images with magnetic resonance (MR) arthrograms and anatomic slices. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The ulnar collateral ligament in four cadavers (eight elbows) was blindly evaluated with US by one musculoskeletal radiologist with experience in musculoskeletal US. These results were compared with standard arthrograms, MR arthrograms, and anatomic slices by consensus reading of two musculoskeletal radiologists. The criteria for an abnormal ulnar collateral ligament included contrast material extension into the ligament or fiber discontinuity, as documented by MR arthrography and anatomic slices. RESULTS: Standard arthrography, MR arthrography, and anatomic slices demonstrated the ulnar collateral ligament to be unequivocally normal in three specimens and abnormal in two. The remaining three elbows did not meet the criteria for classification as either normal or abnormal, and thus they were excluded from the study. With US, the normal ulnar collateral ligament was fibrillar and hyperechoic between the medial epicondyle and proximal ulna. In the two abnormal cases, abnormal hypoechogenicity and ligament fiber disruption were noted. In addition, the proximal aspect of the ulnar collateral ligament varied from a cordlike structure to a broad attachment to the undersurface of the medial epicondyle with variable fat. CONCLUSION: In this small sample, the anterior bundle of the ulnar collateral ligament is identified with US by its hyperechoic and compact fibrillar echotexture. The proximal attachment of the ulnar collateral ligament has a variable appearance. Hypoechogenicity and fiber disruption indicated ulnar collateral ligament abnormality.     

New mechanism of the posterior elbow dislocation

Purpose

To suggest a new model on the most common kind of posterior elbow dislocation using MRI findings on acute elbow injuries.

Methods

Fifteen patients with simple elbow dislocation (Group A) and 19 patients sustaining pure ligament injuries (Group B) were enrolled in this study. Using MRI scans, bony contusion at radial head and posterior capitellum (lateral bone contusion) and medial aspect of the ulnohumeral joint (medial bone contusion) were investigated with the injury patterns of the collateral ligament and overlying muscles. In Group A, the injury patterns of the ulnar and lateral ulnar collateral ligaments were classified into distraction or stripping type; in Group B, into rupture or strain. Based on these findings, we speculated the injury mechanism of the elbow dislocation.

Results

In Group A, posterolateral (PL) dislocation was found in 12 cases of distractive ulnar collateral ligament type and stripping lateral ulnar collateral ligament type, where lateral bone contusion was found in 11 cases. Posteromedial (PM) dislocation was observed in only two cases of distraction type of the LUCL, where medial bone contusion was seen in two cases. In PL dislocation of the elbow joint, we always found more severe damage of soft tissue at the medial side of the elbow joint compared to the lateral side. Lateral bone contusion was speculated to be caused by bony abutment under pathologic forearm external rotation (PFER) and medial bone contusion, by bony abutment under varus stress. In Group B, the ulnar collateral ligament was more commonly injured than the lateral ulnar collateral ligament, and lateral bone contusion accompanied most cases.

Conclusion

PL dislocation is thought to start from the medial side in contrary to PM dislocation beginning at the lateral side. If the disengagement of the coronoid process is not completed due to the insufficient valgus/varus distraction, a coronoid fracture will develop at the same time as the elbow dislocation during PFER.     

Ulnar collateral ligament injury in baseball pitchers: MR imaging evaluation.

The ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) provides stability to the medial aspect of the elbow during valgus stress. Trauma to this ligament may result from repetitive forceful throwing. Diagnosis of UCL injury has been based on clinical findings of medial joint pain and valgus instability, as direct imaging of this structure has not been available. Eleven baseball pitchers with clinical evidence of UCL injury were evaluated with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Surgical correlation was obtained in six patients, four of whom underwent UCL reconstruction. MR imaging findings in UCL injury included laxity, irregularity, poor definition, and increased signal intensity within and adjacent to the UCL. These findings reflect the presence of hemorrhage and/or edema within the UCL due to repeated microtears, which eventually lead to weakening and possible disruption of the UCL. Optimization of spatial resolution, signal-to-noise ratio, and other technical factors is critical for evaluation of the UCL due to its small size. MR imaging is useful in documenting the presence and severity of injury to the UCL and in distinguishing this entity from other causes of elbow pain.     

Operative and nonoperative treatments of medial collateral ligament rupture with early anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a prospective randomized study

BACKGROUND: The apparent consensus is that solitary medial collateral ligament rupture can be treated nonoperatively, but treatment of severe combined ruptures of the medial collateral ligament and anterior cruciate ligament remains controversial. HYPOTHESES: Nonoperative and early operative treatments of grade III medial collateral ligament rupture lead to similar results when the anterior cruciate ligament is reconstructed in the early phase. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized controlled clinical trial; Level of evidence, 1. METHODS: Forty-seven consecutive patients with combined anterior cruciate ligament and grade III medial collateral ligament injuries were randomized into 2 groups. The medial collateral ligament injury was treated operatively in group 1 (n = 23) and non-operatively in group 2 (n = 24). In both groups, the anterior cruciate ligament injury was treated with early reconstruction, using bone-patellar tendon-bone graft and interference screw. Two years postoperatively, knee stability was measured with a KT-1000 arthrometer and Telos valgus radiography and knee extension strength with a Biodex dynamometer and a 1-legged hop test. An International Knee Documentation Committee evaluation form and Lysholm score were completed. RESULTS: All 47 patients were available for clinical evaluation for a mean of 27 months (range, 20-37 months) after surgery. There were no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups with respect to subjective function of the knee, postoperative stability, range of motion, muscle power, return to activities, Lysholm score, and overall International Knee Documentation Committee evaluation. The subjective outcome and Lysholm score were good and anteroposterior knee stability excellent in both groups. CONCLUSION: Nonoperative and operative treatments of medial collateral ligament injuries lead to equally good results. Medial collateral ligament ruptures need not be treated operatively when the anterior cruciate ligament is reconstructed in the early phase.     

Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction in high school baseball players: clinical results and injury risk factors

BACKGROUND: The incidence of ulnar collateral ligament injury has increased in baseball, especially at the high school level. HYPOTHESIS: Ulnar collateral ligament injury in high school baseball players is associated with overuse, high-velocity throwing, early throwing of breaking pitches, and improper warm-ups. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: Follow-up physical examination and questionnaire data were collected at an average of 35 months after ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction from 27 former high school baseball players. Six potential risk factors were evaluated: year-round throwing, seasonal overuse, event overuse, throwing velocity more than 80 mph, throwing breaking pitches before age 14, and inadequate warm-ups. RESULTS: Overall, 74% returned to baseball at the same or higher level. Patients averaged 3 potential risk factors, and 85% demonstrated at least one overuse category. Of the pitchers, the average self-reported fastball velocity was 83 mph, and 67% threw breaking pitches before age 14. CONCLUSIONS: The success rate of ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction in high school baseball players is nearly equal to that in more mature groups of throwers. Overuse of the throwing arm and throwing breaking pitches at an early age may be related to their injuries. Special attention should be paid to elite-level teenage pitchers who throw with high velocity.