On today’s episode we’re focusing on ulnar collateral ligament injuries of the elbow with Dr. Michael Ciccotti, Chief of Sports Medicine at the Rothman Orthopedic Institute and current president of the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine.

We have some great articles for you today that really contribute well this conversation on how to best manage elbow UCL injuries in throwing athletes. As always, links to all the articles we discuss on this show can be found on our podcast website.

The first paper is from the March issue of AJSM this year, titled Return-to-Play Outcomes in Professional Baseball Players After Nonoperative Treatment of Incomplete Medial UCL Injuries. Thomas Noonan and his team at the University of Colorado found that professional baseball players with incomplete UCL injuries treated nonoperatively had a high rate of return to play and similar performance metrics compared to players with no history of UCL injury. Then, from the December 2020 issue of OJSM, we review the publication Effect of UCL Reconstruction on Pitch Accuracy, Velocity and Movement in MLB Pitchers. McKnight and colleagues reported that MLB pitchers who underwent UCL reconstruction had decreased fastball accuracy that persisted up to 3 years post-op. Fastball velocity and curveball moment were unchanged. 

We are honored to have Dr. Michael Ciccotti join us for the discussion today. Dr. Ciccotti is an internationally recognized orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine, shoulder, elbow and knee surgery at the Rothman Orthopedic Institute and Thomas Jefferson University, where he is the Chief of the Sports Medicine Division as well as the Director of the Sports Medicine Fellowship Program. Dr. Ciccotti earned his MD from Georgetown Medical School. He completed his orthopedic residency at Thomas Jefferson University and then went on to complete a fellowship in sports medicine at Kerlan Jobe. 

Dr. Ciccotti is the current President of the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine. He also serves as the Chairman of the Major League Baseball Medical Advisory Committee and has been the Head Team Physician and Medical Director for the Philadelphia Phillies as well as Saint Joseph’s University athletics for over 25 years. 

Dr. Ciccotti has received numerous awards and recognitions for his outstanding contributions to sports medicine, including the George D. Rovere Award for Lifetime Contribution to Sports Medicine Education by AOSSM and The Twenty Year Service Award from the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society. He has published hundreds of articles, book chapters and given countless presentations on many topics in sports medicine, with a particular focus on elbow UCL injuries – which is why we are so fortunate to have him joining us for this discussion!