Nonoperative Treatment of Elbow Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injuries With and Without Platelet-Rich Plasma in Professional Baseball Players: A Comparative and Matched Cohort Analysis.

Background: Recent studies evaluating nonoperative treatment of elbow ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries augmented with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) have shown promising results. To date, no comparative studies have been performed on professional baseball players who have undergone nonoperative treatment with or without PRP injections for UCL injuries.

Hypothesis: Players who received PRP injections would have better outcomes than those who did not receive PRP.

Variability in Baseball Throwing Metrics During a Structured Long-Toss Program: Does One Size Fit All or Should Programs Be Individualized?

Background: The variability of throwing metrics, particularly elbow torque and ball velocity, during structured long-toss programs is unknown.

Hypotheses: (1) Elbow torque and ball velocity would increase as throwers progressed through a structured long-toss program and (2) intrathrower reliability would be high while interthrower reliability would be variable.

Study Design: Descriptive laboratory study.

Baseball Pitchers' Perceived Effort Does Not Match Actual Measured Effort During a Structured Long-Toss Throwing Program.

Background: During rehabilitation throwing programs, baseball players are commonly asked to throw at reduced levels of effort (ie, 50% effort, 75% effort, etc) to moderate stress to healing tissues. It is currently unknown how changes in players' perceived exertion compares with changes in actual exertion during structured long-toss programs.

Purpose: To determine whether decreased effort correlates with decreased throwing metrics, whether metrics decrease proportionally with reductions in perceived effort, and to quantify intrathrower variability.

Following ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, professional baseball position players return to play faster than pitchers, but catchers return less frequently.

Background: Although much as been done to characterize trends of medial ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction in pitchers, outcomes in position players (PPs) (non-pitchers) remain undefined in the current literature.

Methods: Three resources were combined to identify all known Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball (MiLB) PPs who have ever undergone UCL reconstruction. A multitude of player and surgical variables were included.

Effect of Predraft Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction on Future Performance in Professional Baseball: A Matched Cohort Comparison.

Background: In recent years, there has been a dramatic rise in the annual number of ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstructions performed in amateur baseball pitchers. Accordingly, increasing numbers of players are entering professional baseball having already undergone the procedure; however, the effect of prior UCL reconstruction on future success remains unknown.

Purpose: (1) To provide an epidemiologic report on baseball players who undergo UCL reconstruction before being selected in the Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft, (2) to define the outcomes in terms of statistical performance, and (3) to compare these results with those of matched controls (ie, non-UCL reconstruction).