Tommy John surgery

THE PITCHING EPIDEMIC The facts behind Tommy John surgery

Photo by Sydney Katz

You have to be a winner. You have to get a scholarship. You need to throw faster and harder and better than the rest of your competition. Five more throws and you can stop. Five more throws and you’re done for the night. However, those five extra throws every single night for years without rest can cause significant damage to a young athlete. The Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) reconstruction surgery, better known as the Tommy John surgery, is being done on more patients every year. According to the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, one in four major league baseball pitchers have to get the surgery, but the surgery is being done on much younger patients than it has in the past. A UCL can tear in any single traumatic event, but it is usually the result of a sports injury. The cause involves repetitive overuse and forceful motion, so it most commonly happens in throwing sports. That explains why injury to the UCL most commonly occurs in baseball pitchers. Athletes that participate in American football, javelin, gymnastics, softball, tennis and water polo are also susceptible to the injury. A study done by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center found an increase in the number of adolescents getting the surgery. The results show that the total volume of UCL surgeries increased by nearly 200%, while the number of UCL reconstructions per 100,000 people tripled from 0.15 to 0.45. From the study, almost all of the growth occurred in two age groups, 17 to 18-year-olds and 19 to 20-year-olds. The procedure is becoming more prevalent with the younger age groups, and the rates are expected to continue rising. “One of my teammates has been having pain and issues in her arm,” softball player and junior Sierra Huddle said. “She can’t take a break because we are in season and she is committed.” The baseball team at CCHS “I PLAYED FOR SIX MONTHS STRAIGHT AND TOOK A FOUR MONTH BREAK. WHEN I CAME BACK I ACTED LIKE I NEVER LEFT AND MESSED UP MY ELBOW” -JOSHUA LOPEZ JUNIOR

practices six to seven times a week; they play one to two times a week and have morning workouts every Monday and Friday. Injuries are bound to happen, and overuse usually has something to do with these injuries. One varsity baseball pitcher, junior Joshua Lopez, injured himself after too much practice. “I played for six months straight and took like a four-month break,” Lopez said. “When I came back I acted like I never left and messed up my elbow.” Prevention is better than repair. Athletes who have Tommy John surgery in high school have a higher risk of reinjuring themselves later. To prevent tearing a UCL, there are certain steps athletes should take. Pitchers should strengthen muscles associated with throwing to take pressure off the ligament, and there needs to be a limit to the number of throws. Icing and stretching are important to do while doing anything sports-related. “I haven’t gotten seriously hurt; my shoulder would just be sore,” varsity softball pitcher junior Jordan Hustey said. “I make sure I stretch now and ice after I pitch.” There is an epidemic among baseball players. The injury is affecting more athletes every single year, and if something is not done, the rates will continue to rise. BY KYLEIGH SPRIGLE