New Joint Project

The ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) is a thick triangular band at the medial aspect of the elbow uniting the distal aspect of the humerus to the proximal aspect of the ulna. It consists of two portions, an anterior and posterior united by a thinner intermediate portion. The most common UCL injury is a slow deterioration of the joint as a result of repeated stress, commonly seen in baseball pitchers. To treat the injury Tommy John Surgery is required. This is where they will take tendons from a different part of your body and replace the UCL with it. The surgery is named after Tommy John, a major league pitcher who in 1974 was the first ever to have the surgery. This injury usually occurs in hard throwers because the faster your arm is moving the more stress you're putting on your ulnar collateral ligament. 

To improve this joint and reduce injury risk, I thought the best way to do this would be to keep it simple and not change too many things. I would simply thicken tendons in all ways in an attempt to make it stronger and more durable. Side effects could perhaps include less mobility of the joint because of the increased thickness of the tendons, which could possibly result in a slower fast ball. But in my opinion, 5-6 miles per hour slower on a fastball would be worth the trade off of dramatically reducing injury risk of the ulnar collateral joint. 

This project was very interesting. It caused us to learn a specific joint in more depth, which in turn helps us learn about all of the joints as a whole. I can't remember ever doing this type of project in a previous class. This topic is very relatable for me because I have suffered from elbow pain for years from pitching and I know many people who have had to get Tommy John surgery.





Sources:

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/97451-overview

http://www.houstonmethodist.org/orthopedics/where-does-it-hurt/elbow/ulnar-collateral-ligament-injuries/

Atlas of Human Anatomy, Frank H. Netter