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Elbow Pain in a Throwing Athlete

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Mechanics, Pathomechanics and Injury in the Overhead Athlete

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Abstract

Medial elbow pain in throwing athletes can be debilitating. While the elbow UCL is the most common cause of the pain, it is important for treating physicians to have a good understanding of the extensive differential diagnosis of medial elbow pain in throwing athletes. A full-thickness tear of the UCL in athletes wanting to continue playing baseball typically requires reconstruction. Rehabilitation after UCL reconstruction can be an arduous endeavor that requires commitment from the patient, physician, and training staff. Good to excellent outcomes following reconstruction can be expected, but such an injury can be career altering. As opposed to full-thickness tears, partial tears can often be managed conservatively with a structured physical therapy program and gradual return to an interval throwing program. Some recent studies have highlighted the potential benefits of biologic injections to augment conservative management.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY, USA

    James B. Carr II & Joshua S. Dines

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  1. James B. Carr II
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  2. Joshua S. Dines
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Shoulder Center of Kentucky, Lexington Clinic, Lexington, KY, USA

    W. Ben Kibler

  2. Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, KY, USA

    Aaron D. Sciascia

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Carr, J.B., Dines, J.S. (2019). Elbow Pain in a Throwing Athlete. In: Kibler, W., Sciascia, A. (eds) Mechanics, Pathomechanics and Injury in the Overhead Athlete. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-12775-6_20

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-12775-6_20

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-12774-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-12775-6

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