Return to Sport After Nonoperative Management of Medial Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injuries About the Elbow in Non-throwing Athletes.

There is a paucity of literature published on management of acute medial ulnar collateral ligament injuries in the non-throwing athlete and when these athletes may expect to safely return to sport. Non-overhead throwing athletes that sustained medial ulnar collateral ligament (MUCL) injuries treated conservatively with brace immobilization and therapy can successfully return to sport in a relatively short duration. A radiographic query of Magnetic Resonance Images (MRIs) was performed to identify patients sustaining elbow MUCL injury. Only those participating as intercollegiate athletes were included. Medical charts and documents were reviewed to determine time away from sport and rehabilitation protocol. A total of 17 patient-athletes were identified as having sustained MUCL injuries that met inclusion criteria. There was a 100% return to sport rate, averaging 5 weeks from date of injury. Non-overhead throwing athletes competing at the intercollegiate level who sustained acute MUCL injury were effectively treated nonoperatively. (Journal of Surgical Orthopaedic Advances 30(3):136-139, 2021).

Perilunate Injury with Concomitant Short Radiolunate Ligament Disruption: Prevalence and Surgical Outcomes-"An Unusual Perilunate Injury Variant".

Background In the classic description of perilunate injuries, the short radiolunate ligament (SRL) remains intact. Objective This study was aimed to determine the occurrence of SRL disruptions with perilunate injuries and review the clinical and radiographic outcomes after surgical management. Patients and Methods A retrospective review was conducted for patients who sustained a perilunate injury and a concomitant disruption of the SRL at a single-level-1 trauma center between January 2013 and January 2017. Patients with the combined injury pattern were compared with those with perilunate injury alone without SRL injury during the study period. Outcome measures included pain scores (visual analogue score), wrist and forearm range of motion, patient's return to their former occupation, and multiple radiographic parameters. Results Twenty-seven patients were treated operatively for a perilunate injury. Eight of these patients (30%) were found to have associated disruption of the SRL. When compared with patients with perilunate injury alone, these patients had a lower rate of return to work (57% [4 of 7] vs. 92% [12 of 13]), a significantly longer mean length of time to return to work (5.9 vs. 3.8 months), and a higher rate of associated upper extremity injury (75% [3 of 8] vs. 16% [3 of 19]. Conclusion Combined SRL disruption and perilunate dislocation or fracture dislocation represent a high-energy variant from the classic description of a perilunate injury. A heightened awareness for this combined injury pattern should be maintained when treating patients with perilunate injuries. Level of Evidence This is a Level III, prognostic study.