Tommy John Surgery
Posted on: September 1, 2010 by admin
In 1974, pitcher Tommy John was the first pitcher in baseball to undergo this surgery. Basically when a pitcher has a UCL (ulnar collateral ligament) tear, they simply take some ligament/tendon from another part of the body to replace it. The procedure is tough on the pitchers pitching elbow. Many pitchers never quite recover to the strength they had before their problems. However, with advanced procedures in medicine now, players can often come back form this surgery full strength. It is a very risky surgery though. Once there is a tear in that area or a separation of that ligament in the elbow, it can easily occur again even though there was a surgical way to repair it. The recovery time is usally1.5 years or more before the pitcher can return to full pitching duties.
Stephen Starsburg is the latest victim. The rookie pitching sensation will now undergo the procedure to repair a tear in his pitching arm. This is a huge blow to the rookie and the Washington Nationals. For pitchers, this can happen at any time during a pitch or occur over a longer period of time gradually. So take care, eat right and do what you can to protect your pitching arm.
TagsTommy John Surgery Filed Under: Baseball