Tommy John Surgery for the Elbow

Tommy John Surgery for the Elbow
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Tommy John Surgery for the Elbow
Tom John Surgery has remained one of the most commonly performed surgeries since its introduction. This UCL reconstruction surgery repairs the torn ulnar collateral ligament at the elbow by replacing another tendon in another part of a person's body. This surgery was referred to this way mainly because it was first performed on Tommy John, a baseball player, in 1974 (Rpp, 2022). Understanding the basic anatomy, joint injuries, surgery description, and required therapy techniques is essential.
Basic Anatomy
Ligaments are strong tissue bands that hold the individual's bones together to help them control joint movements. In most instances, the ligament performs like a tether between the bones. Whenever the ligament is torn, the individual tether becomes long, making the bones have an excess movement. This movement will cause the person to suffer from pain, looseness, instability, and inability to play sports or work.
The ulnar collateral ligament is on the inside part of the elbow, which can be the medial or pinky side. This ligament is usually attached to the arm's and forearm's bones. The ulnar collateral ligament comprises three bands or divisions: the traverse, posterior, and anterior bands. Even though all the bands are essential, the anterior band is the most important since it offers elbow stability. The UCL will be a primary static stabilizer to the medial elbow valgus stress (Orthopaedics, 2019). In most instances, the UCL can resist valgus and extension varying from 70 to 120° elbow flexion.
Common Injuries
The common injuries the individuals suffer from are grade 1, 2, and 3 sprains. The person has a grade 1 sprain when the ligament has stretched but has not yet torn. On the other hand, the person has a grade 2 sprain when the ligament has stretched, making them have a partial ligament tear which could vary in different degrees. The specialist often treats individuals suffering from grade 1 and 2 sprains without surgery. For instance, the specialist can treat the patient by offering them a rehabilitation program and then instruct them to have a period of no throwing. In most instances, the recovery period takes approximately 8-12 weeks, even though sometimes it varies according to the nature of the individual health.
On the other hand, Grade Three sprains are complete or total-thickness tears. In most instances, the individuals undergo reconstruction to manage the condition. In most instances, the conditions are common in javelin throwers and tennis players (Thurrott, 2022). In other cases, the specialist can also repair ligaments in younger pitchers or female athletes if their ligament tears are off the bones. Different studies have shown that direct repair of acute tears has good results among patients.
Description of Surgery
The first process involves harvesting the tendon from the patient's body. The specialist usually uses the palmaris l...