Sports medicine stats: Innings pitched after Tommy John surgery
Dr. David Geier is an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist in Charleston, South Carolina and Charlotte, North Carolina. He helps athletes and active people feel and perform their best, regardless of age, injuries and medical history. He has been featured in major media publications and shows over 2,500 times throughout his career.
Authors of a recent study looked at 154 Major League Baseball pitchers who underwent ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, also known as Tommy John surgery, between 1974 and 2015. 135 of these pitchers did not require revision UCLR while 19 did undergo revision UCLR. No significant difference existed between pitchers who underwent revision UCLR surgery and those who did not when comparing number of innings pitched in the season after UCLR. Likewise, no significant difference existed between pitchers based on the number of pitches thrown in the season after UCLR, the number of innings pitched in the pitcher’s career after UCLR, and the number of pitches thrown in the pitcher’s career after UCLR. No difference existed in revision rate between pitchers who pitched more or less than 180 innings in the first full season after UCLR.
Source: American Journal of Sports Medicine, published online July 11, 2016
Through the stories of a dozen athletes whose injuries and recovery advanced the field (including Joan Benoit, Michael Jordan, Brandi Chastain, and Tommy John), Dr. Geier explains how sports medicine makes sports safer for the pros, amateurs, student-athletes, and weekend warriors alike.
Tommy John surgery, between 1974 and 2015. 135 of these pitchers did not require revision UCLR while 19 did undergo revision UCLR. No significant difference existed between pitchers who underwent revision UCLR surgery and those who did not when comparing number of innings pitched in the season after UCLR. Likewise, no significant difference existed between pitchers based on the number of pitches thrown in the season after UCLR, the number of innings pitched in the pitcher’s career after UCLR, and the number of pitches thrown in the pitcher’s career after UCLR. No difference existed in revision rate between pitchers who pitched more or less than 180 innings in the first full season after UCLR.