Throwing Injuries

Tommy John

By: Tyler RothMarch 19, 2012

Table of Contents The Joint- Radioulnar Joint

How the Injury Occurs

Symptoms of the Injury

Classifications/ Severity of the Injury

Treatment

Tommy John Surgery Facts/Procedure

Rehabilitation

Post Rehab Prevention

Bibliography

The Joint- Radioulnar Joint

The proximal radioulnar articulation (superior radioulnar joint) is a trochoid or pivot joint between the circumference of the head of the radius and the ring formed by the radial notch of the ulna and the annular ligament.

How the Injury Occurs

Activities: Throwing any object (baseball, football, etc.). The injury can also be related to tennis since the motion of swinging a racket is very similar to a throwing motion. That injury is known as tennis elbow.

Symptoms of Tommy John

Symptoms:

-Pain in the elbow area

-The pain lingers and won't go 100% away

-Feels a great amount of pain when one attempts to throw an object

-Swelling in the elbow, Loss of velocity, Loss of control, Tingling in the ring and pinky fingers, pain in the elbow joint, popping of the radioulnar joint.

Classification/Severity of Injury

-Very serious injury

-Comeback rate of 85%

-Can be as successful as before the injury but unlikely

Treatment

Treatment: There are two treatments to the Tommy John injury. One is to simply never throw again, the other is Tommy John Surgery.

Tommy John Surgery

-Known in medical practice as ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction

-Results in a surgical procedure where a ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body

-Tendons used most often are from forearm, hamstring, hip, knee, or foot

-The procedure is common among collegiate and professional athletes in several sports, most notably baseball.

Facts of Tommy John Surgery

-The procedure was first performed in 1974 by Dr. Frank Jobe

-Jobe now serves as a Special Advisor to the Los Angeles Dodgers

-Surgery is named after former major league pitcher Tommy John whose 288 career victories ranks seventh all time among left-handed pitchers.

Procedure of Tommy John Surgery

1.Holes, to accommodate a new tendon, are drilled in the ulna and humerus bones of the elbow.

2.A harvested tendon - from the forearm of the same or opposite elbow, below the knee, or from a cadaver – is taken from it’s original placing

3.The tendon is then woven in a figure-eight pattern through the holes.

Rehabilitation

-For baseball players, full rehabilitation takes about one year for pitchers and about six months for position players.

-Players begin throwing about 16 weeks after surgery.

-There's no way to speed up recovery from the injury but some players might try to get into the swing of things again earlier without fully rehabilitating the elbow. This will most likely result in the injury repeating itself.

Post Rehab PreventionElbow Sleeves:

-Holds the muscles tight together.

-Still allows muscle movement but can reduce the chances of elbow injury.

The best way to avoid future injury is to build that muscle up over time. This process can't be rushed.

Time and commitment will heal the injury but after a muscle, ligament, tendon, or bone has been injured, it can happen again.

Multiple Choice (1-5)

1. What is a good age to start lifting weights?

A 5 B 15 C 9 D 13 

2. From a thrower's perspective, while lifting weights, which is the least important?

A Quantity B Quality C Repetition D Weight 

3. With proper mechanics, what body part should be used the most while throwing?

A Shoulder (Rotator Cuff) B Legs C Chest D Arm 

4. How can one recover from the swollen muscles after throwing?

A Ice B Heat C Throw more D Do nothing E All of the above 

5. What is the success rate of an athlete after receiving Tommy John surgery?

A 30% B 50% C 85% D 65% 

Multiple Choice (6-10)

6. What sport could Tommy John surgery be needed for?

A BaseballB Tennis C Football D Javelin E All of the above 

7. Is Tommy John surgery used on more or less kids than before?

A Lowering B On the rise C The same D They're kids, they don't have issues yet 

8. What's the best way for a pitcher to strengthen his arm?

A Weights B Weighted baseballs C Just throwing D None of the above 

9. What tool can someone use to strengthen their arm while keeping their elasticity?

A Weights B Rubber bands C Throwing in cold weather D None of the above 

10. What body part should be used the least while throwing?

A Legs B Arm C Shoulder D Chest

Multiple Choice (11-15)

11. To reduce strain while throwing, when one takes their step to throw, how far should that step be?

A 6 feet B 5 feetC Your body length D Doesn't matter 

12. How long should the swelling in your arm last after you've thrown?

A 5 minutes B 30 minutes C 2 Hours D Depends 

13. When throwing, what muscles are under the most strain?

A Elbow B Shoulder C Forearm D Core 

14. What's the average speed of an MLB fastball?

A 100 KPH B 84 MPH C 90 MPH D 95 MPH

15. What was the fastest pitch ever clocked?

A 90 MPH B 105 MPH C 95 MPH D 101 MPH

Multiple Choice Answers

1. C 2. D 3. B 4. A 5. C 6. E 7. B 8. B 9. B 10. D 11. C 12. D13. A 14. C 15. B

Bibliographyhttp://www.hss.edu/conditions_elbow-throwing-injuries-mcl-tommy-john.asp, Throwing Injuries- Tommy John, March 19, 2012.

http://www.google.ca/search?q=elbow+band&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1&redir_esc=&safe=on&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=4CpnT9mmJcelgwexxpXZAg&biw=1016&bih=592&sei=4ipnT_XPK8X8ggft-bD4Ag#um=1&hl=en&safe=active&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=baseball+elbow+sleeve&oq=baseball+elbow+&aq=1&aqi=g3g-S7&aql=&gs_sm=3&gs_upl=5513l15274l0l18257l35l35l9l6l6l0l79l1374l20l20l0&gs_l=img.3.1.0l3j0i24l7.5513l15274l0l18257l35l35l9l6l6l0l79l1374l20l20l0.frgbld.&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=c43e6a1cf682416d&biw=1016&bih=592

, Google images (Elbow sleeve), March 19, 2012.

http://www.google.ca/search?q=elbow+band&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1&redir_esc=&safe=on&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=4CpnT9mmJcelgwexxpXZAg&biw=1016&bih=592&sei=4ipnT_XPK8X8ggft-bD4Ag#um=1&hl=en&safe=active&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=radioulnar+joint&oq=radioul&aq=0&aqi=g10&aql=&gs_sm=3&gs_upl=74283l79735l0l81031l19l17l1l0l0l2l203l1188l14.0.1l16l0&gs_l=img.3.0.0l10.74283l79735l0l81031l19l17l1l0l0l2l203l1188l14j0j1l16l0.frgbld.&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=c43e6a1cf682416d&biw=1016&bih=592, Google images (Radioulnar joint), March 19, 2012.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proximal_radioulnar_articulation, Radioulnar joint- Wikipedia, March 19, 2012.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_you_know_if_you_need_Tommy_john_surgery, Tommy John Surgery, March 19, 2012.

http://www.symptomfind.com/procedures-tests/tommy-john-surgery/, Tommy John Surgery, March 19, 2012.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_John_surgery, Tommy John Surgery- Wikipedia, March 19, 2012.