Bobby Saumell

Biology in Baseball
With baseball season right around the corner, its the perfect time to talk about a
surgery that has become very prevalent in baseball. Tommy John Surgery or Ulnar
Collateral Ligament (UCL) reconstruction has become a very popular procedure for
baseball pitchers. This is because the constant stress put on the UCL, by the throwing
motion of a pitcher, can cause it to become torn, and very severely stressed.
The surgery involves the replacement of the UCL of the medial elbow with a
tendon from a location somewhere else in the body. The common tendons used are from
the forearm, hamstring, hip, knee, or even the foot of the patient being treated. The
surgeon drills holes in the ulna and humerus of the elbow and the tendon is then woven
through the holes in the elbow.
This surgery was first performed, in 1974 by Dr. Frank Jobe and is named after
the former major league baseball pitcher Tommy John. Tommy John had a very
successful career. He won 288 games as a lefty pitcher in the major leagues and had to
have this surgery during his career. One game after throwing a pitch Tommy injured a
ligament in his arm and without this surgery would not have been able to continue his
career. Being the first person to have this surgery he was kind of like a guinea pig and
since the surgery was so successful it was named after him. Tommy John surgery has
become very prevalent today in baseball because it allows pitchers to resurrect their
careers after such critical injuries. For baseball players, complete rehab takes
approximately one year for pitchers and roughly six months for other position players.
Players are usually able to throw 16 weeks following this procedure.