What Is Your “Tommy John” Ligament?
You’ve probably heard of a few odd or unusual terms that refer to various medical conditions, body parts, or specific injuries. One of the most common of these terms, particularly heard in sports circles, is used to describe the Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) of the elbow, also known as the “Tommy John Ligament.”
The UCL, or Tommy John ligament, is the main ligament stabilizing the inner part of the elbow. It attaches the end of the arm bone to one of the forearm bones. The UCL is often torn or stretched by activities causing repetitive strain on the ligament – particularly throwing or tennis. Stretching of the ligament can cause subtle instability in the elbow leading to pain with repetitive throwing. Often the ligament needs to be reconstructed with a tendon graft to restore its strength and allow return to pain-free throwing or overhead sports, a procedure that has become common in baseball pitchers.
Where Did The Name Tommy John Come From?
Tommy John was major league baseball pitcher for the L.A. Dodgers and New York Yankees over a twenty-year career and was the first person to undergo the procedure that now carries his name. John began to experience some serious ligament discomfort and pitching problems around 1974. Dr. Frank Jobe, a noted orthopaedic surgeon who was team physician for the L.A. Dodgers at that time diagnosed John with tearing of the UCL as the cause of his pitching problems and devised a new surgical procedure to reconstruct the ligament – a radical and controversial treatment at the time. Back then, it was believed that a major league pitcher could never return to pitching in the big leagues after having surgery. Faced with few options and the prospect of having to retire from baseball, John placed his trust in Dr. Jobe and underwent the procedure. He then went on to return to the major leagues and had a successful Hall of Fame carreer. Based on his success, the procedure became known as the “Tommy John” procedure and is now commonly performed on baseball pitchers with painful elbows.
Misconceptions About the “Tommy John” Procedure
Based on John’s experience and the success of others who have had the procedure over the years there has become a misconception that undergoing the procedure can actually improve pitching performance over that of having a normal elbow. Many players and coaches came to believe that the procedure increased pitching velocity and accuracy and that players were actually “better” after undergoing the procedure. There is no medical or biomechanical evidence to support this. However, most sports medicine and athletic trainers believe that the post-operative rehab and strengthening that players undergo after the surgery is what often times can lead to their improved performance. This has lead to more research and focus on prevent exercises and training regimens to improve performance in throwing and to help prevent the need for a thrower to undergo a “Tommy John” procedure.
Read this: Advair Diskus
of course like your website however you need to take a look at the spelling on several of your posts. Several of them are rife with spelling issues and I to find it very bothersome to inform the truth then again I’ll definitely come back again.
Hi every one, here every one is sharing such familiarity, so it’s fastidious to read this blog, and I used to pay a visit this web site everyday.|
Awesome post. I’m a regular visitor of your website and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the excellent site. I’ll be a frequent visitor for a really long time.
I like reading a post that can make men and women think. Also, thanks for allowing for me to comment!|
Hello there. I found your site by way of Google whilst searching for a related topic, your site came up. It looks good. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to visit then.
Woah! I’m really loving the template/theme of this site. It’s simple, yet effective. A lot of times it’s challenging to get that “perfect balance” between superb usability and appearance. I must say you’ve done a very good job with this. Additionally, the blog loads extremely quick for me on Firefox. Exceptional Blog!|
Hi there. I found your site by the use of Google even as searching for a similar matter, your website came up. It seems great. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to visit then.
I think the admin of this website is genuinely working hard in favor of his web site, as here every material is quality based information.|
Hmm is anyone else encountering problems with the images on this blog loading? I’m trying to find out if its a problem on my end or if it’s the blog. Any feed-back would be greatly appreciated.|
First off I want to say great blog! I had a quick question that I’d like to ask if you don’t mind. I was interested to find out how you center yourself and clear your mind before writing. I have had a difficult time clearing my mind in getting my ideas out there. I truly do take pleasure in writing however it just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes tend to be wasted simply just trying to figure out how to begin. Any recommendations or hints? Kudos!|
Hey there. I discovered your site via Google while searching for a related subject, your web site came up. It seems to be good. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to come back then.
Awesome post. I’m a regular visitor of your website and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the nice site. I’ll be a regular visitor for a really long time.
Hiya, I’m really glad I have found this information. Today bloggers publish just about gossip and net stuff and this is actually annoying. A good blog with interesting content, that’s what I need. Thanks for making this web-site, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?
Hiya, I’m really glad I have found this information. Today bloggers publish only about gossip and internet stuff and this is actually annoying. A good blog with exciting content, that’s what I need. Thanks for making this site, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?
Hey there. I found your site by means of Google whilst looking for a related matter, your web site got here up. It seems great. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to visit then.
Hello there. I found your website by the use of Google while searching for a comparable topic, your site got here up. It seems great. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to visit then.
Does your blog have a contact page? I’m having problems locating it but, I’d like to shoot you an e-mail. I’ve got some suggestions for your blog you might be interested in hearing. Either way, great website and I look forward to seeing it improve over time.|
we are recruiting tower crane operators, riggers and labours to work in Australia. Excellent pay and accommodation provided. We can also arrange visa and airfare. Please contact me on +61421414586
Awesome post. I am a regular visitor of your website and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the nice site. I’ll be a regular visitor for a long time.
Hiya, I am really glad I’ve found this information. Nowadays bloggers publish only about gossip and web stuff and this is actually annoying. A good blog with exciting content, this is what I need. Thank you for making this site, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?