• June 30, 2026 | 1:15 PM - 2:10 PM
• PCC,113ABC

UCL Injuries: From the OR to the Mound

Performance of ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction surgery recently increased 193% over a 10 year span. However, these injuries impact a small percentage of athletes including baseball players, gymnasts, javelin throwers, and wrestlers. Being that UCL injuries occurs in a small subset of the athletic populations, not every athletic trainer has the ability to see this injury with significant volume. Given the rarity in most occupational settings for ATs, it is worthwhile to know the path from diagnosis to treatment options and from the operating room back to the playing field.

Learning Objectives - Identify types of UCL injuries that may be treated non-operatively vs surgically.
- Define the 3 types surgical variations for UCLs.
- Describe various rehabilitation protocols and timelines.
- Identify appropriate return to play (RTP) progressions for position players and pitchers vs non-baseball players.

Keywords: UCL injuries; Tommy John surgery; Elbow rehabilitation