Study: MLB Pitchers Not the Same After Tommy John Surgery

Orthopedic Sports Medicine

A new study from Henry Ford Hospital finds that Major League Baseball pitchers who undergo Tommy John surgery often do not regain their initial performance level.

Vasilios Moutzouros, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Henry Ford Hospital and the senior author of the study, said the study "debunks" the perception the surgery will make pitchers better. "Eighty to 90 percent of major league pitchers will get back to pitching at the major league level, but they just won't be as effective as they were before injury," he said.

 

Tommy John surgery is performed on pitchers with severe elbow injuries. The two-hour outpatient procedure essentially reconstructs the ulnar collateral ligament with a tendon from the same arm or hamstring.

 

Henry Ford researchers analyzed the pitching statistics of 168 MLB pitchers who underwent the procedure between 1982 and 2010. They found earned runs average (ERA), walks/hits per inning pitched (WHIP) and innings pitched all declined post-surgery. For example, ERA for pitchers before Tommy John surgery was an average of 4.15, but after the procedure, that figure regressed to 4.74.

 

The physicians said the surgery helps players return to action, but that is the only conclusion that should be made. Robert Keller, MD, a Henry Ford orthopedic resident and study co-author, said the data show performance declines significantly post-Tommy John, and the surgery is not a panacea, nor does UCL reconstruction lead to higher performance.

 

More Articles on MLB and Sports Medicine:
Dr. Frank Jobe, Innovative Shoulder Surgeon, Dies at 88
Dr. Brian Cole & Dr. Anthony Romeo: 3 Ways to Be an Orthopedic Leader
Dr. James Andrews to Perform Elbow Surgery on Mets' Matt Harvey

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