2021 Annual Meeting Wrist & Elbow Access Pass-Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injuries in Gymnasts and Javelin Throwers: An Analysis of Return to Sport and Patient Outcomes

Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injuries in Gymnasts and Javelin Throwers: An Analysis of Return to Sport and Patient Outcomes

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Video Summary

This presentation evaluated UCL injuries in overhead athletes—gymnasts and javelin throwers—who experience high elbow stress similar to baseball players. The retrospective study included 12 gymnasts and 18 javelin throwers with minimum two-year follow-up. Most gymnasts had acute injuries from gymnastics maneuvers; surgical patients showed better outcomes and a 78% return-to-sport rate at 7.3 months. Among javelin throwers, all underwent surgery with a 75% modified Jobe technique; 62.5% returned to competition at 12.2 months. Overall, patients expressed high satisfaction, with surgery showing slight superiority in gymnasts. Limitations include small sample size and retrospective design.

Asset Caption

Dr. Taylor D'Amore | The Athlete's Elbow

Keywords

UCL injuries

overhead athletes

gymnasts

javelin throwers

surgical outcomes