The Athletic

Written by Alec Lewis

In August 2018, right-handed pitcher Jesse Hahn hopped in his car and drove across Missouri, from Kansas City to the St. Louis area. It was morning when the journey began; the sun was shining, and the interstate was relatively empty. On his mind was the next morning’s appointment with well-known orthopedic surgeon Dr. George Paletta, whose diagnosis had the potential to change Hahn’s baseball life.

The Kansas City Royals had scheduled the appointment for Hahn after months...

THE FREDERICK NEWS-POST

He wasn’t even a member of the travel team, yet the third baseman with the elbow brace may be one of the most valuable teammates Cole Lee has ever had.

Coached by Keith Gordon, Lee’s Mid-Atlantic Red Sox team was conducting an ordinary practice at The Bullis School in Bethesda two summers ago. A player from one of Gordon’s previous travel teams wanted to sharpen his skills after not having played for some time. So Gordon allowed him to log some practice reps with the Red Sox, and Lee saw him field his share of ground balls at third base.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Written by Christie L.C. Ellis

ST. LOUIS • Could a shrimp hold the secret to keeping Cardinals pitchers healthy? With the help of Washington University researchers, the answer might be yes.

Andrew Nuss goes through the motions as he stands on the pitcher’s mound in the same public park where he started playing baseball when he was five years old.

Over the years, he’s developed quite a fastball—reaching speeds of 87 miles an hour.

Andrew, who’s 18 now, hopes to play Major League Baseball. That’s why he had Tommy John surgery last May to replace the torn ligament in his elbow.

On June 21, 2017, Becker's Orthopaedic Review published a list of sports medicine surgeons across the United States who perform ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction.

VICE SPORTS 

Jeffrey R. Dugas, M.D.

For nearly half a century, a UCL injury has meant complete elbow reconstruction for pitchers—and over a year of rehab. Thanks to an enterprising doctor and some very high-quality tape, that is finally changing.

Dr. Jeff Dugas has scrubbed in for about 2,000 surgeries on the ulnar collateral ligament of the elbow. He reconstructs the injured ligament with a tendon grafted from the patient's forearm or leg.

STACK

Jeffrey R. Dugas, M.D.

Elbow pain is a pitcher's worst nightmare. Why? It could mean that you are out for an entire season or more recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Tommy John surgery is the procedure performed to repair a damaged ulnar collateral ligament, which is a triangle-shaped ligament in the elbow that helps stabilize the joint. Unfortunately, this injury is far too common. Pitchers, coaches and baseball organizations need to do a better job of preventing the injury from occurring in the first place.

Fansided

Jeffrey R. Dugas, M.D.

“It’s a game changer.”

That phrase is often just hype, but when you hear it come from not one, but four of the top orthopedic surgeons in the country, it’s time to take note.

True changes in sports medicine come about once in a generation. Tommy John surgery, the arthroscope, the use of orthobiologic agents  — these innovations are now part of the sports medicine landscape, and regularly help athletes come back from injuries that were career-altering or even career-ending not that long ago.