The Thrower’s Joint: Elbow and Sport
The human elbow was never evolutionarily designed to withstand the violent, repetitive valgus torque generated by a 95-mph fastball or a professional tennis serve. In elite athletes, this joint is pushed to the absolute brink of biomechanical failure. Elbow and Sport is a fiercely focused, highly specialized surgical manual dedicated exclusively to the unique pathology of the athletic elbow. This volume provides the exact blueprints required by sports medicine surgeons to reconstruct failed ligaments and restore explosive overhead power.
Mastering the Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL)
The core philosophy of this text is restoring absolute medial stability. The authors aggressively detail the pathomechanics of valgus extension overload. It dictates exactly how to diagnose subtle UCL insufficiency using dynamic ultrasound and MR arthrography, and provides exhaustive, step-by-step algorithms for executing the “Tommy John” surgery (UCL reconstruction), detailing the nuances of the docking technique versus the classic figure-of-eight.
Navigating Chondral Lesions and Epicondylitis
The book provides a masterclass in joint preservation. It dictates the exact surgical pathways for managing capitellar osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) lesions in young gymnasts, detailing the indications for microfracture versus osteochondral autograft transfer (OATS). It rigorously explores the transition from conservative management to surgical debridement for recalcitrant lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does this book cover elbow fractures in the elderly?
No. Its focus is entirely on the *athletic* elbow—the overuse syndromes, ligamentous ruptures, and chondral defects specific to high-demand sports.
Who is the primary audience?
It is the absolute, mandatory surgical atlas for Orthopedic Sports Medicine Specialists, Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons, and advanced Athletic Trainers.
