A Systematic review comparing return to play data for adolescent and professional baseball players

Abstract

Ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries are pervasive and can be debilitating for athletes who use overhead throwing motions. UCL reconstruction surgery is commonly performed on adolescent and professional baseball players. The hypothesis tested was that after UCL surgery adolescent baseball players return to play and to the same level of play more quickly than professional players. Research did not reveal any prior study performing this comparison. A literature review was conducted of studies documenting return to play and return to same level of play for both adolescent and professional baseball players. Return to play time and rates were compared. In four studies involving adolescent baseball players, the mean time of return to play ranged from a low of 10.1 months to a high of 13.4 months. In five studies involving professional pitchers, the mean time of return to play was 14.3 months for two studies, and ranged from 17.3 to 20.5 months for the three studies that reported only return to the same level of play. Research results indicate that adolescent baseball players return to play sooner than professional pitchers after UCL reconstruction surgery. This shorter return to play time for adolescents is notable considering that professionals may face pressure from their employers to return to work and personal pressure to augment their careers. On the other hand, professionals may receive more intensive medical evaluations and treatment regimens that delay their return to play, given the financial value to their employers of their throwing arms.