Surgical Excision of a Thrombosed Persistent Median Artery in a Professional Hockey Player.

A persistent median artery is a rare anatomical variant found in approximately 10% of the population. Carpal tunnel syndrome due to a thrombosed persistent median artery is exceptionally rare. A 29-year-old professional hockey player presented with a 2 months history of hand pain and intermittent paresthesias without vascular symptoms. Magnetic resonance imaging and angiography demonstrated a 2-cm thrombosis in a persistent median artery at the level of the carpal tunnel, with otherwise normal vascular anatomy. He was treated with surgical excision of the thrombus and carpal tunnel decompression. The patient's symptoms resolved rapidly and he was able to return to sport without restrictions. Incidental imaging performed several months after surgery demonstrated a normal vascular pattern in the treated hand.

Hook of Hamate Fractures in Major and Minor League Baseball Players.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe an approach to surgical management of the hook of hamate fractures in professional baseball players. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed on Major and Minor League Baseball players who underwent surgical excision for the hook of hamate fracture between the years 2003 and 2019 by a single surgeon. Patient demographics, the mechanism and timing of the injury, diagnostic and operative details, postoperative complications, and timeline to return to baseball activities were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 145 professional baseball players affiliated with 17 Major League Baseball organizations were studied, with the majority of athletes playing at the Minor League Baseball level (91.7%). Subacute or chronic patterns of injury (81.7%) were found to be more common than acute patterns based on radiographic and intraoperative findings. Two patients reported transient numbness in the fourth and fifth digits after surgery, 6 patients reported pisotriquetral pain when returning to a hitting program, and 1 patient developed heterotopic ossification after surgery. All complications resolved during a strength and conditioning program. On average, players in our cohort began a hitting program at 4.6 weeks after surgery and were released into full baseball activities at 7.1 weeks after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical excision remains an effective method of management, with a low risk of minor complications for both acute and chronic hook of hamate fractures in professional baseball players. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level IV.

Epidemiology and Impact of Hand and Wrist Injuries in Major and Minor League Baseball.

Background: Professional baseball players are at risk of acute and chronic injuries to their upper extremities. Methods: Major League Baseball's Health and Injury Tracking System, a prospective injury surveillance system, was used to identify and characterize all hand and wrist injuries sustained by all Major League Baseball (MLB) and Minor League Baseball (MiLB) players during the pre-, regular, and postseason throughout 2011-2016. Injuries were included if they resulted in at least 1 day out of play and were sustained during standard baseball activities. Days missed were defined as the time between injury and the first time in which a player was cleared to return to play. Results: During the study period, there were 4478 hand and 1748 wrist injuries throughout MLB and MiLB, which resulted in a total of 105 246 days out of play. This was equivalent to the length of 575 individual MLB player seasons, and the mean days missed per injury was 17 days. Most injuries were traumatic in nature, with 43% (n = 2672) of players injured after being hit by a baseball that mainly occurred during batting (n = 2521; 40%). Injuries that most frequently required surgical intervention were hook of hamate fractures (72%) and scaphoid fractures (60%). Conclusions: Understanding the epidemiology and impact of hand and wrist injuries in MLB and MiLB players may lead to improved management of these injuries and reduce time away from play. Most importantly, preventive measures and/or enhanced protective gear may be developed to minimize these types of injuries in MLB and MiLB.