Predictive Risk of Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injury Based on Ligament Morphology and Dynamic Abnormalities in Professional Baseball Pitchers Using Stress Ultrasonography

摘要

Objectives:Ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injury of the elbow is a common and debilitating problem seen frequently in elite baseball pitchers. Ultrasound has been shown to be a useful diagnostic tool in evaluating UCL injuries. We hypothesized that the evaluation using stress ultrasound (US) of the elbow to measure both the morphology of the UCL and the ulnohumeral joint space gapping as a surrogate for UCL incompetence will be helpful to predict UCL injury in professional baseball pitchers.