Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction with allograft: is it a home run?
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Smith MV
PROVIDER: S-EPMC3748988 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jun
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction with allograft: is it a home run?
The Journal of bone and joint surgery. American volume 20130601 12
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Project description:Injuries of the medial ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) of the elbow have previously been career ending for overhead athletes, with gymnasts and baseball pitchers being highly affected. The majority of UCL injuries in this population are chronic, overuse injuries and may be amenable to surgical intervention. The original reconstruction technique, pioneered by Dr. Frank Jobe in 1974, has undergone many modifications over the years. Most notable is the modified Jobe technique developed by Dr. James R. Andrews, which has resulted high rates of return to play and increased career longevity. However, the lengthy recovery time is still problematic. As a way to address the lengthy recovery time, a UCL repair with an internal brace technique improved the time to return to play but has limited applicability to the young patient with an avulsion injury and good tissue quality. Furthermore, there is considerable variety in other published techniques including surgical approach, repair, reconstruction, and fixation. We present here a technique for a muscle splitting, ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction with allograft to provide collagen for longevity and internal brace for immediate stability, early rehabilitation, and return to play.
| S-EPMC9984727 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ContextUlnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries lead to pain and loss of performance in the thrower's elbow. Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction (UCLR) is a reliable treatment option for the symptomatic, deficient UCL. Injury to the UCL usually occurs because of chronic accumulation of microtrauma, although acute ruptures occur and an acute-on-chronic presentation is also common.Evidence acquisitionComputerized databases, references from pertinent articles, and research institutions were searched for all studies using the search terms ulnar collateral ligament from 1970 until 2015.Study designClinical review.Level of evidenceLevel 5.ResultsAll studies reporting outcomes for UCLR are level 4. Most modern fixation methodologies appear to be biomechanically and clinically equivalent. Viable graft choices include ipsilateral palmaris longus tendon autograft, gracilis or semitendinosus autograft, and allograft. Clinical studies report excellent outcomes of UCLR for both recreational and elite level athletes with regard to return to sport and postoperative performance. Complications, although rare, include graft rerupture or attenuation, ulnar nerve symptoms, stiffness, pain, and/or weakness leading to decreased performance.ConclusionInjuries to the UCL have become commonplace among pitchers. Nonoperative treatment should be attempted, but the limited studies have not shown promising results. Operative treatment can be performed with several techniques, with retrospective studies showing promising results. Complications include ulnar neuropathy as well as failure to return to sport. Detailed preoperative planning, meticulous surgical technique, and a comprehensive rehabilitation program are essential components to achieving a satisfactory result.
| S-EPMC4622381 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The prevalence of ulnar collateral ligament injuries and reconstructions among overhead throwing athletes has significantly risen in recent years. Surgical reconstruction has become the main treatment modality for athletes who have failed conservative treatment and wish to return to their sport. There has been an increased interest in graft augmentation in ligament reconstruction surgeries as surgeons search for ways to decrease the chance of graft failure. Augmented graft techniques have been described for other procedures. We present a technique that incorporates a cross-linked suture tape into either a palmaris longus or gracilis tendon autograft or allograft for ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction. This may allow for a biomechanically stronger construct because it appears this is the case in other settings. The goal is that this would lead to decreased rates of failure or possibly allow athletes to return at an accelerated rate.
| S-EPMC6993131 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Reconstruction of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures in overhead throwing athletes. Since its initial description, the procedure has undergone a number of technical modifications and advancements. This has resulted in multiple described techniques for UCL reconstruction. One of the most commonly performed UCL reconstruction methods is the docking technique. It has the advantages of minimizing injury to the flexor-pronator mass, avoiding the ulnar nerve, allowing robust graft tensioning, and reducing the amount of bone removed from the medial epicondyle compared with previously described techniques. This article provides a detailed description and video demonstration of how to perform this technique. When precise surgical steps are followed and postoperative rehabilitation appropriately progresses, this procedure has a well-documented history of reliably returning athletes to competitive throwing.
| S-EPMC5021527 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction of the medial elbow is considered to be the gold standard for treating valgus instability seen in overhead throwing athletes. The first UCL construction was performed by Frank Jobe in 1974, and this procedure has evolved over time to include multiple techniques that improved the biomechanical strength of the graft fixation and maximize the rate of return to athletic competition for these patients. The most common UCL-reconstruction technique used today is the docking technique. The purpose of this Technical Note is to describe our technique, including pearls and pitfalls, which combines the many advantages of the docking technique with a proximal single-tunnel suspensory fixation technique. This method allows for optimal tensioning of the graft, allowing for secure fixation that relies on metal implants as opposed to tying sutures over a proximal bone bridge.
| S-EPMC10323971 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) of the elbow acts as the primary restraint to valgus force experienced in the late cocking and early acceleration phases of overhead throwing. If the UCL or dynamic flexor-pronator musculature is incompetent, elbow extension and valgus torque, as seen in throwing, can result in posteromedial impingement with subsequent chondromalacia and osteophyte formation. Before the first UCL reconstruction, performed by Frank Jobe in 1974, this injury was considered career ending in overhead athletes. Since the index procedure, further techniques have been developed to minimize dissection of the flexor-pronator mass and improve the biomechanical strength of graft fixation with the goal of increased return to athletic competition. We describe our technique-including pearls and pitfalls, as well as advantages and disadvantages-which combines the docking technique, through a flexor muscle-elevating approach with transposition of the ulnar nerve using a fascial sling. Harvest and preparation of a palmaris longus tendon autograft is also described.
| S-EPMC5263241 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction of the elbow has evolved substantially since its introduction in 1974. Numerous variations of the surgery have been introduced, including modifications in tunnel creation, graft tensioning, and fixation. These changes have aimed to improve overall quality of the reconstruction; however, even the most commonly used techniques still present many challenges. We describe a technique for ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction using bisuspensory button fixation and a single tunnel on both the ulnar and humeral sides. This technique avoids many of the most common complications and methods of failure of UCL reconstruction, provides immediate strong graft fixation, and offers the surgeon a technically less demanding procedure.
| S-EPMC7917017 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The "Docking Plus" technique for elbow ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) surgery is described in the following text and video. Depite the general success of UCL surgery, significant rates of retear and failure of return to competition persist. Hypothesized reasons for UCL surgery failure include insufficient graft strength (midsubstance tears), insufficient graft tensioning (functional UCL insufficiency, valgus extension overload), and insufficient healing of graft to bone (proximal avulsions). This technique is meant to incorporate the best aspects of the previously described techniques for UCL reconstruction to create a larger, stronger, better-tensioned graft with a larger healing surface area to bone, a lower retear rate, and a lower risk of complications. The Docking Plus technique has been used since 2012.
| S-EPMC5622024 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Injuries to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), have become increasingly prevalent among overhead-throwing athletes, especially baseball pitchers. From 2011 to 2023, UCL injuries were the most common injury in Major League Baseball (MLB). Contributing factors include high pitching velocity, fatigue, overuse, and year-round pitching. Research indicates that 25% of MLB pitchers and 14% of Minor League pitchers have undergone UCL surgery, with these numbers steadily rising. After traditional UCL reconstruction, 83% of athletes return to the same or higher levels of play. While the success rate for UCL surgery is high, revision surgeries are becoming more frequent, with mixed outcomes. This underscores the need for improved surgical techniques and rehabilitation strategies. The hybrid UCL reconstruction technique presents a reliable and effective solution for treating UCL injuries, combining the benefits of autogenous grafting with internal brace augmentation. Current research, however, lacks focus on the surgical technique and rehabilitation following UCL hybrid surgery. Achieving successful outcomes with this procedure relies on a collaborative approach, from surgery to rehabilitation with adherence to the rehabilitation protocol and throwing program. Full recovery typically requires 12-14 months, depending on the athlete's level of play. With over 400 successful surgeries to date, this technique has proven to enhance stability and facilitate recovery, particularly in elite-level throwing athletes. The purpose of this paper is to describe this new surgical technique and its associated rehabilitation programs, emphasizing the importance of rehabilitation under the guidance of a rehabilitation professional experienced with overhead athletes. Level of Evidence: 5.
| S-EPMC11893015 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Reconstruction of the lateral ulnar collateral ligament of the elbow is the primary treatment for recurrent symptomatic posterolateral rotatory instability. Although a number of lateral ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction techniques have been described, the docking technique has received general acceptance. In this technique, the graft is passed through a tunnel on the ulnar side and the 2 free limbs are docked into the humerus at the isometric point on the lateral condyle. Advantages of this method of reconstruction include reduced bone removal, decreased soft tissue damage, and precise control of graft tensioning. When precise surgical steps are followed, this technique can be performed in a reliable, efficient, and reproducible manner for patients with posterolateral rotatory instability of the elbow.
| S-EPMC5621830 | biostudies-literature