17 Jun What is Tommy John Surgery?
Ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction surgery is known to many as Tommy John surgery. Tommy John is a famous Major League Baseball pitcher who underwent a UCL procedure that used tendon from elsewhere in the body to successfully replace ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow. Following his famous surgery, Tommy John was able to continue his highly successful career as professional baseball pitcher. John’s 288 career victories ranks seventh all time among left-handed pitchers.
Baseball pitchers are among those athletes who most commonly suffer injuries to ligaments in the elbow as a result of stress occurring from repetitive motion and overuse. Collateral ligaments are the outer and inner ligaments that hold the elbow joint in place. The UCL is the ulnar collateral ligament that connects the inner side of the humerus bone to the inner side of the ulna bone. Because pitchers place extraordinary stress on the UCL, this is often where injury occurs.
Dr Neil Roth trained at the world renowned Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic, where he was trained by Dr. Frank Jobe in performing Tommy John surgery. The orthopedic surgeons at the New York Sports Medicine Institute are proficient at performing ligament construction of the elbow procedures for high performing athletes and weekend warriors alike.