Medial Collateral Ligament Injury (MCL) - Baseball Elbow
A medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury is not a common injury for most individuals, as it most often results when the elbow is subjected to the motion such as that of high velocity pitches experienced in amateur and professional
baseball - with balls reaching extremely high rates of speed.
Helping to stabilize the lower and upper long arm bones is a network of ligaments and tendons, which come together at the elbow joint. A high level of continuous force, over time, can lead to irritation, inflammation, cartilage tears,
formation of bone spurs and eventual tearing of the MCL.
When the MCL is torn, the stability is compromised. While those suffering from such an injury may retain full range of motion, strength is greatly reduced. While some patients report hearing a "pop" when the ligament tears, it can
also occur gradually and remain undetected for a while.
Risk Factors
Those most at risk for an MCL injury are athletes involved in a throwing sport such as pitchers in Baseball. The continuous force required in pitching, particularly at the professional level, places stress
on the elbow joint and increases the likelihood of an MCL tear.
Treatment
Following a thorough physical examination and assessment of patient history and manner in which the injury occurred, an x-ray or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be indicated. Treatment is then determined
based on the severity of the injury and may include a rest from the activity causing the injury followed by rehabilitative exercises.
More severe tears may require exploratory arthroscopy and surgical repair. Popularized by a former professional baseball player, the Tommy John surgery has proven effective in treating these types of ligament tears. Known to doctors
as medial collateral ligament reconstruction the procedure is short and quickly restores strength by using a ligament-tendon exchange. |
