MH Residency- Elbow

BACKGROUND: Injuries to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) of the elbow are of major concern in baseball; however, the epidemiology of these injuries among National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletes is poorly described. PURPOSE: To determine the incidence of UCL injuries in NCAA baseball and investigate the risk factors involved. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive epidemiology study. METHODS: All UCL injuries for academic years 2009-2010 through 2013-2014 were extracted from the NCAA Injury Surveillance Program database...

Osteochondritis dissecans affects the elbow of many young, skeletally immature athletes. The incidence of OCD in the elbow is second to its occurrence in the knee and similar to the incidence in the ankle. Young, athletically active individuals are at increased risk for developing this problem. There is a predilection for those involved in overhead-dominant sports and sports that require the arm to be a weight-bearing limb. The diagnosis is occurring earlier because of an increased awareness of the entity and the increased use of advanced imaging techniques, primarily magnetic resonance imaging...

This review on elbow dislocations describes ligament and bone injuries as well as the typical injury mechanisms and the main classifications of elbow dislocations. Current treatment concepts of simple, that is, stable, or complex unstable elbow dislocations are outlined by means of case reports. Special emphasis is put on injuries to the medial ulnar collateral ligament (MUCL) and on posttraumatic elbow stiffness.