A qualitative assessment of return to sport following ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction in baseball players.

Background: The rate of ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction has been increasing at all levels of play. With excellent outcomes, primary UCL reconstruction has allowed many overhead athletes to return to their pre-injury sport. However, the subjective factors influencing this decision to return to sport have yet to be studied.

Concussion Incidence and Impact on Player Performance in Major League Baseball Players Before and After a Standardized Concussion Protocol.

Background: Sports-related concussions have garnered significant attention in recent years because of the negative effects they can have on a player's cognitive health and performance. In response to this growing concern, Major League Baseball (MLB) introduced a standardized concussion protocol during the 2011-2012 season.

Purpose/hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to compare the reported incidence of concussions and the subsequent performance of MLB players before and after the introduction of the standardized concussion protocol.

Arthroscopic treatment of type II superior labral anterior to posterior (SLAP) lesions in a younger population: minimum 2-year outcomes are similar between SLAP repair and biceps tenodesis.

Purpose: Compared to a relatively older population over 30-40 years of age, the efficacy of biceps tenodesis for type II SLAP lesions in a younger population is not well studied. The purpose of this study was to compare outcomes between biceps tenodesis and labral repair for type II SLAP lesions in a young active population.

Methods: Patients aged 15-40 who underwent primary arthroscopic biceps tenodesis or SLAP repair for type II SLAP tears between 2009 and 2016 were included.

Assessment of Flexion Strength Following Single- Versus Double-Hamstring Tendon Harvest for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

Purpose: To compare isometric hamstring strength deficits, knee laxity, functional outcomes, and patient-reported outcomes between patients who underwent anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with doubled semitendinosus and gracilis tendon autograft (ST/G) versus quadrupled semitendinosus autograft (ST), at a minimum follow-up of 1-year postoperatively.

Methods: Patients who underwent ACL reconstruction with ST/G or ST hamstring autografts were retrospectively identified. Isometric hamstring strength was tested with a hand-held dynamometer at 30, 60, and 90° of knee flexion.

Subscapularis Myotendinous Junction Tears Presenting with Posterior Shoulder Pain in Overhead Throwing Athletes.

Objective: Acute inferior subscapularis myotendinous junction injuries are occasionally seen in overhead throwing athletes, and can present with posterior shoulder pain.

Case Reports: Four professional baseball pitchers presented with acute onset of posterior shoulder pain while pitching. After thorough, routine physical examination of the shoulder by the referring orthopaedic surgeon magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed within 7-10 days of the onset of presenting symptoms and interpreted in consensus by 2 fellowshiptrained musculoskeletal radiologists with 9 and 5 years of experience and a musculoskeletal radiology fellow.

Complete Intrasubstance Long Head Biceps Brachii Rupture with Successful Repair: A Case Report.

Introduction: Intrasubstance biceps brachii rupture is a rare injury. Non-operative management of this injury has demonstrated worse outcomes than early operative intervention.

Case Report: We report a case of a traumatic long head of the biceps brachii muscle belly rupture repaired primarily throughthe Kragh technique augmented with human dermal collagen matrix.

Influence of Pitching Release Location on Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction Risk Among Major League Baseball Pitchers.

Background: Medial ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction is a common procedure performed among Major League Baseball (MLB) pitchers. The etiology of UCL injury is complex and is not entirely understood.

Hypothesis: To better understand risk factors for requiring UCL reconstruction, we hypothesized that pitchers who eventually undergo the procedure will exhibit different throwing mechanics as measured by pitch-tracking data points, such as velocity and release location.

Changes in pitching mechanics after ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction in major league baseball pitchers.

Background: Medial ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction is a common procedure performed on Major League Baseball pitchers. Variations in pitching mechanics before and after UCL reconstructive surgery are not well understood.

Methods: Publicly available pitch tracking data (PITCHf/x) were compared for all Major League Baseball pitchers who underwent UCL reconstruction between 2008 and 2013.

The thrower's elbow.

Overhead throwing activities expose the elbow to tremendous valgus stress, making athletes vulnerable to a specific constellation of injuries. Although baseball players, in particular pitchers, are the athletes affected most commonly, overhead throwing athletes in football, volleyball, tennis, and javelin tossing also are affected. The purpose of this review is to review the anatomy, biomechanics, pathophysiology, and treatment of elbow disorders related to overhead throwing athletes.

Nerve block of the infrapatellar branch of the saphenous nerve in knee arthroscopy: a prospective, double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: With the rising use of outpatient knee arthroscopy over the past decade, interest in peripheral nerve blocks during arthroscopy has increased. Femoral nerve blocks are effective but are associated with an inherent risk of the patient falling postoperatively because of quadriceps weakness. We studied blocks of the infrapatellar branch of the saphenous nerve, which produce analgesia in the knee that is similar to that resulting from a femoral nerve block but without associated quadriceps weakness.

Effects of lumbar disk herniation on the careers of professional baseball players.

Outcomes after lumbar disk herniation in baseball athletes are currently unknown. It has been postulated that the repetitive torque-producing motions of a baseball player may have negative implications after a disk injury. Sixty-nine lumbar disk herniations (40 treated operatively, 29 nonoperatively) in 64 professional baseball players were identified, and important outcome measures including successful return to play, time to recovery, career longevity, and performance based on vital statistics to each position were documented.

Efficacy of preoperative home use of 2% chlorhexidine gluconate cloth before shoulder surgery.

Hypothesis: Deep infection after shoulder surgery is a rare but devastating problem. This study tested the hypothesis that the home application of a 2% chlorhexidine gluconate cloth before shoulder surgery would be more efficacious than a standard shower of soap and water at decreasing the preoperative cutaneous levels of pathogenic bacteria on the shoulder.

Materials And Methods: This randomized, prospective study evaluated 100 consecutive patients undergoing shoulder surgery.

The Professional Athlete Spine Initiative: outcomes after lumbar disc herniation in 342 elite professional athletes.

Background Context: Although clinical outcomes after lumbar disc herniations (LDHs) in the general population have been well studied, those in elite professional athletes have not. Because these athletes have different measures of success, studies on long-term outcomes in this patient population are necessary.

Purpose: This study seeks to define the outcomes after an LDH in a large cohort of professional athletes of American football, baseball, hockey, and basketball.

Efficacy of surgical preparation solutions in shoulder surgery.

Background: Deep infection following shoulder surgery is a rare but devastating problem. The use of an effective skin-preparation solution may be an important step in preventing infection. The purposes of the present study were to examine the native bacteria around the shoulder and to determine the efficacy of three different surgical skin-preparation solutions on the eradication of bacteria from the shoulder.