2021 Annual Meeting Wrist & Elbow Access Pass-Biomechanical Comparison of Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction with and without Internal Bracing

Biomechanical Comparison of Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction with and without Internal Bracing

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The video is a presentation given by a speaker named Michael, who thanks Anna for organizing the meeting and allowing him to present his research. The research is focused on ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries in athletes, specifically pitchers and overhand throwers. The speaker discusses the historical background of UCL injuries and the surgery known as UCL reconstruction, commonly referred to as Tommy John surgery. The speaker introduces the concept of the internal brace, which is a high tensile strength suture used to reduce stress on the UCL repair or reconstruction. The speaker presents the results of their study, which examined the valgus stability and load to failure of UCL reconstructions with and without internal bracing. The study found that UCL reconstruction with internal bracing showed similar valgus stability compared to native UCL and UCL reconstruction alone, and had greater stiffness and load to failure. The speaker concludes by suggesting that the internal brace technique may have potential clinical applications for protecting UCL reconstructions and accelerating rehabilitation in athletes.

Asset Caption

Dr. Michael Narvaez | The Athlete's Elbow

Keywords

UCL injuries

Tommy John surgery

internal brace

valgus stability

rehabilitation