national leaders in ucl repair & tommy john surgery
A torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) is one of the most significant injuries affecting baseball pitchers, softball players, quarterbacks, and overhead athletes.
At Andrews Sports Medicine, our elbow specialists provide advanced UCL repair, UCL reconstruction (Tommy John surgery), and internal brace procedures designed to restore elbow stability and protect long-term performance.
evidenced-based ucl repair backed by published outcomes research
In January 2025, the American Journal of Sports Medicine published a cover study titled:
The study was conducted and authored in Birmingham, Alabama by researchers at the American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI) in collaboration with our Andrews Sports Medicine orthopaedic surgery sports medicine specialists.
This peer-reviewed research compared return-to-play rates, clinical outcomes, and complication profiles between modern internal brace UCL repair and traditional UCL reconstruction. The findings reinforce an important evolution in elbow surgery: for appropriately selected competitive athletes, UCL repair with internal brace augmentation can produce strong outcomes while preserving native ligament tissue.
This is not theoretical advancement — it is research developed, performed, and published by leaders in sports medicine here in Birmingham.
What This Means for Athletes
Not every UCL tear requires reconstruction.
Evidence-based evaluation allows our team to determine whether an athlete is best treated with:
- UCL repair with internal brace
- Traditional Tommy John reconstruction
- Or non-surgical management
Treatment decisions are based on tear pattern, tissue quality, MRI findings, athlete age, competitive level, and long-term performance goals.
What Is UCL Repair with Internal Brace?
UCL repair with internal brace is an advanced surgical technique designed to treat specific tear patterns, particularly acute injuries with preserved ligament tissue.
Rather than replacing the ligament with a tendon graft, the procedure:
- Repairs the athlete’s native UCL
- Reinforces the repair with a high-strength suture tape internal brace
- Provides immediate stability during biological healing
The internal brace functions as a protective scaffold, supporting the ligament while structured rehabilitation progresses.
When Is Reconstruction Necessary?
UCL reconstruction (Tommy John surgery) remains the standard of care for:
- Chronic degenerative tears
- Poor ligament tissue quality
- Mid-substance insufficiency
- Revision cases
Every elbow injury is unique. Our team approach ensures that each athlete receives an individualized, research-driven treatment plan.
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