Tommy John surgery

From BR Bullpen

Tommy John surgery, more properly known as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction (or UCL), is a surgical operation in which a ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body (often from the forearm, hamstring, or foot of the patient). The procedure was developed by Dr. Frank Jobe in 1974 for pitcher Tommy John, for whom the surgery is named.

The injury results from repetitive use of the elbow during the violent motions involved with throwing a baseball. In the surgery the new tendon is implanted and woven in a figure-eight pattern through holes drilled in the humerus and ulna bones.

A torn elbow ligament was the most common cause of what was simply called "dead arm injury" during most of the 20th century.

At the time of the first operation, Jobe put John's odds at returning to pitch 1 in 100. After his 1974 surgery, John spent 18 months rehabilitating his arm, returning for the 1976 season. He would go on to pitch in the major leagues until 1989 at age 46. The chances of a complete recovery after the modern surgery are estimated at 85 to 90 percent. Rehabilitation takes around 12 to 15 months for pitchers and about 6 months for position players.

It is not uncommon for pitchers to throw harder after the surgery than they did before the injury. However, this results not because of the surgery itself, but from the rigorous rehabilitation that ensues following surgery.

Lewis Yocum and James Andrews are two other doctors that commonly perform the surgery for professional baseball players.