UCL Injury in Baseball Pitchers

It's only a few weeks into Major League Baseball season and there have already been a few pitchers  that are out of UCL tear requiring surgery. But what is UCL? Why is this so common? The ulnar collateral ligament of the elbow (UCL) is located in the medial side (inside) of the elbow connecting two bones (humerus and ulna) and plays a primary role in stabilizing the joint during pitching motion, especially during cocking phase. It is also under considerable amount of stress close to its maximal capacity before it fails according to the literature. The muscles around the ligament and joint also play a role as a dynamic constraint to protect the joint and the ligament from an injury. However, over time and from repetitive stress from pitching may put enough stress to injure the ligament. A tear can happen in one pitching motion, however, the most of the times, it is from overuse. Can we prevent this?! Sure, we can! It is important that pitchers especially in younger age limit their pitch count. One study shows that younger pitchers who pitch more than 100 innings per year are 3.5 times more likely to injure their shoulder or elbow. It is also important that they learn a good pitching mechanics. We know that poor throwing mechanics will put more stress in the shoulder and the elbow. We also need to address the whole body as kinetic chain because the majority of the strength to throw baseball is created in the lower extremities not in the throwing arm. Any break in the kinetic chain will result in more stress placed on some other parts of it. Imagine throwing baseball on the firm ground, then, in the mud.....it would be more difficult to throw hard in the mud, right?! That's how important the legs are in order to be able to throw or pitch.

Ulnar Colleteral Ligament of the Elbow